Ghana’s Parliament has passed the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introducing significant changes to the national holiday calendar.
The bill, presented by Minister for the Interior Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, was approved on Wednesday, June 25, amid both support and controversy.
One of the headline changes is the restoration of July 1 as Republic Day, which now returns as a statutory public holiday. Additionally, Founder’s Day will once again be observed on September 21, reversing a previous adjustment made under an earlier administration.
The new legislation also introduces a policy shift for holidays that fall in the middle of the week. Moving forward, public holidays landing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays will be observed on the nearest Friday, a move the Interior Minister says is aimed at enhancing productivity and creating longer weekends for citizens.
“We’re maintaining the key holidays such as January 1 (New Year’s Day), January 7 (Constitution Day), March 6 (Independence Day), Good Friday and Easter Monday (in March or April), May 1 (Labour Day), and now restoring July 1 as Republic Day,” Mubarak told the House.
He stressed the symbolic importance of July 1, saying: “We believe Republic Day is central to Ghana’s identity and unity, and should not be relegated to the background.”
However, the bill’s passage under a certificate of urgency drew sharp criticism from the Minority in Parliament. Opposition members argued that the Mahama administration was prioritising symbolic measures over more urgent national challenges that deserve immediate legislative attention.
Despite the objections, the amendment was approved and will come into effect later this year, officially altering how Ghanaians observe key national commemorations.
