The government had backtracked on its decision to grant leave two days a week after the public complained of hardship of receiving service from the various government organizations from the two days off a week.
The Government of Nepal has decided to withdraw its decision of giving a public holiday on every Sunday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the cabinet held on Monday.
Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand informed at an event in the capital saying, “The weekly public holiday being given on every Sunday will be canceled from next June 15.”
The government had earlier decided to implement the system of two days (Saturday and Sunday) holidays in a week effective from May 15, 2022 changing the office hours starting from 09:30AM to 17:30 PM five days a week from Monday to Friday.
Though, it was said by the government that on the recommendation of the task force, the government gave leave two days a week implemented as a trial basis to reduce the impact of the shortage of petroleum products in the international market in Nepal.
However, the government’s decision of two days a week was opposed by various quarters.
Now, from June 15, the office working hours will be from 10 AM to 5 PM through Sunday to Friday and from 10 AM to 3 PM on Friday. It comes 40 hours a week
However, this is not the first time that the government came to enforce two days off a week. About 23 years ago, in 1999 (2056 BS), it was implemented as two days holidays a week. But it was very uncomfortable and unusual. This system of two days off did not last long. After about six months, the government itself withdrew from the decision of two days a week leave provision, removing from 2059 BS.
However, criticizing the government’s two days holiday issue, experts opined that it would not be practical to give two days leave in Nepal by increasing the daily office hours. The flow of public services would be weakened after two days leave as there was no mechanism to monitor the performance of the employees, they had warned
In most of the world’s countries 116 countries adopted two days leave in a week. Among the 192 UN member countries, the other nations follow only one day off.
