Govt moves holidays to give longer weekends
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A number of national holidays this year will be shifted so as to ensure longer weekends as part of an attempt by the government to aid the country's battered tourism sector, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the State Minister for Administrative Reform, holidays falling in the middle of the week will either be moved to Monday or Friday so as to give a three-day weekend.
The first holiday to be affected under the ruling will be the Muslim new year on Tuesday, March 4. That date has now been moved to Monday, March 3, so that those taking a break will have a longer weekend.
Not all holidays have been shifted, however. Good Friday on April 18 will continue to be observed by the state on Friday.
The Hindu's Day of Silence or Nyepi and Buddhist Waisak holidays also remain fixed on Wednesday April 15 and May 16 respectively.
And just like last year, civil servants must take mandatory leave of three days during the Idul Fitri holidays, and one day after Christmas.
This will reduce their annual leave from the normal 12 days to eight.
Private companies have been encouraged to follow suit, but the ruling particularly targets the habit of civil servants to take off several additional working days after Idul Fitri or Christmas.
"Of the 55,000 civil servants in the central government, 60 percent skipped work after Idul Fitri in 2001. That was reduced to 11 percent during Idul Fitri in 2002," Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said as quoted by Antara.
The government introduced the new holiday measures last year to help the tourism sector cope with a nationwide slump following the Oct. 12 terrorist strike on Bali.
It was hoped that the longer weekends would encourage people to travel, thereby promoting domestic tourism.
New holiday schedules for 2003:
1. Muslim new year to be taken on Monday March 3, instead of Tuesday, March 4.
2. The Birthday of Prophet Muhammad to be taken on Thursday, May 15, instead of Wednesday, May 14.
3. Ascension Thursday (Christian) to be taken on Friday, May 30, instead of Thursday, May 29.
4. Indonesia's Independence Day to be taken on Monday August 18, instead of Sunday, August 17.
5. The Ascension Day of Prophet Muhammad to be taken on Monday Sept. 22, instead of Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Extended holidays for civil servants in 2003:
1. The Muslim's Idul Fitri holidays will include Monday Nov. 24, Thursday Nov. 27, Friday Nov. 28.
2. The Christmas holiday will include Friday Dec. 26.