Founder of Liberal Party of Ghana, Kofi Akpaloo
• Kofi Akpaloo wants mid-week holidays to be shifted to either Mondays or Fridays
• He says this is a panacea for the failing domestic tourism
• In 2018, a Public Holidays Amendment Bill was tabled before parliament to scrap three holidays
Leader and founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo, has suggested another amendment to the statutory holidays observed in the country.
He says holidays that fall in the middle of the week must be shifted to either Mondays or Fridays.
According to him, this change once effected legally will, in the long run, contribute to the development of domestic tourism in the country because of the long weekend it permits.
In an interaction with Daily Graphic, the former presidential aspirant said, “when a holiday falls mid-week, you can’t travel because you would be going to work the following day. However, when it is on a Friday or Monday, you can travel as a result of the long weekend to have some sightseeing around the country, among other things.”
Ghana marked the third Founders Day on Wednesday, August 4 following the changes made with the passage of the Public Holidays Amendment Bill in 2018.
The statutory holiday is observed to mark the significant contributions of leaders who fought to gain independence for the country.
Commenting on the significance of the day, Kofi Akpaloo added that it would have been more substantive if it had been moved to Friday. He argued that it would have allowed Ghanaians to better appreciate the significance of travelling to see other parts of the country.
Under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, an amendment was made to the public holidays in the country. A Public Holidays Amendment Bill (2018) was tabled before parliament to scrap three public holidays and replaced them with two new ones.
