Ghana’s government has officially passed a new law that changes how public holidays are observed, with a strong focus on midweek holidays in Ghana. According to the amendment, any public holiday that falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday will now be celebrated on the nearest Friday.
This move, backed by Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak and approved by Parliament on June 25, 2025, is designed to make holiday schedules more predictable and beneficial for both businesses and workers. The aim is to improve productivity by avoiding midweek breaks and encouraging longer weekends.
The law amends the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601), and comes with other major changes. July 1 has been restored as Republic Day, making it a statutory public holiday once again. Additionally, the government has removed the August 4 Founders’ Day and replaced it with September 21, now recognized as the official Founder’s Day in honour of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
One new addition is Shaqq Day, which will be celebrated the day after Eid-ul-Fitr as an extra day off for Ghana’s Muslim community.
President Mahama, using his Executive powers, has also declared that although Republic Day falls on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the holiday will be observed on Friday, July 4, 2025 — in line with the new policy on midweek holidays in Ghana.
The adjustment is expected to bring several benefits. It allows for better planning across the public and private sectors, extends weekends for rest and family time, and could help the tourism and creative industries grow.
Even though the bill received criticism from opposition MPs for being rushed, it was passed under a certificate of urgency due to its significance. The law also allows holidays that fall on weekends (Saturday or Sunday) to be observed on the following Monday.
In total, Ghana now has 14 statutory holidays, including New Year’s Day, Constitution Day, Independence Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Republic Day, Eid-ul-Fitr, Shaqq Day, Eid-ul-Adha, Founder’s Day, Farmers’ Day, Christmas, and Boxing Day.
The change to how midweek holidays in Ghana are observed is expected to create a positive shift in work-life balance and national productivity without affecting the economy negatively.
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