Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has presented a new private member’s bill before parliament which proposes sweeping changes to the Public Holidays Act 2001.

The bill is to amend Section 3 of the Public Holidays Act 2001 (Act 601) to substitute public holidays that fall on days between Tuesday and Thursday to Friday.

This, however, he said should not apply to Islamic holidays.

His proposed amendment also gives relevant power and authority to the President to by executive instrument merge in a particular calendar year, the celebration of any two public holidays in the public interest.

Furthermore, the proposal also seeks to repeal section 2 of Act 601 where by practiced under the current regime, public holidays that fall on weekends are not marked as such, but instead postponed to Mondays.

And finally, the bill seeks to abolish the criminalisation of the non-observance of public holidays as captured under section 5 of Act 601.

According to the legislator, the proposal “forms part of efforts to realise the achievement of a more progressive and productive society.”