In an attempt to pass one of the parliamentary amendments dealing with public holidays, the government has gained the support of the majority of Members of Parliament to approve the removal of provincial holidays, which the six provinces have been celebrating since after independence in 1980.

The government has decided to retain all other national public holidays as they are but has made two main changes: the first is to stop the practice of observing a public holiday on a working day when the holiday falls on a weekend, and the second is the removal of all provincial holidays.