Government Declares Mid-Week Holiday To Avoid Economic Disruption Amidst Global Energy Crisis

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to declare Wednesdays as a government holiday, with the measure coming into effect from tomorrow.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held yesterday evening, taking into account the prevailing situation arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Addressing the situation, cabinet spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the decision to declare Wednesday a government holiday was made to ensure the economy continues to function without major disruption while minimizing the impact on people’s daily lives.

He emphasized that the move is not due to a shortage of dollars but is related to global oil supply disruptions. 

Accordingly, several options were considered when selecting a suitable day, but Cabinet Spokesperson said the focus was on avoiding stagnation in administrative and economic activities during the country’s ongoing rebuilding process.

The spokesperson noted that declaring Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as holidays would have severely disrupted government operations and affected the economy. 

By choosing Wednesday, essential government functions will continue without consecutive days of inactivity.

Authority has been delegated to ministry secretaries to determine which staff members need to report for work and to make necessary operational arrangements in their institutions.

Addressing a question on how will the energy consumption be managed if the private sector is not given a holiday, Cabinet Spokesperson said that government institutions do not plan to operate trains and buses as usual on the holiday. 

Private offices and institutions are expected to adjust their work accordingly.

He explained that while some government offices will be closed, public transport services will also run below normal capacity.

Reducing fuel consumption on this day, he said, will help minimize the economic impact and allow the measure to be sustained over a longer period.

When asked whether public transport services will be affected, the Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed that services will indeed be limited on Wednesdays.

He added that essential services will continue at the minimum required level, and ministry secretaries have already issued instructions to heads of institutions on managing operations during the holiday.