KATHMANDU, May 27: The government’s decision to introduce a two-day weekly holiday has triggered growing criticism, with service seekers and officials saying it is creating more problems than relief. The system, which has been attempted twice before, has historically failed to sustain itself.
Experts argue that in a country like Nepal, where public holidays are already abundant, a two-day weekend is largely impractical and disruptive to public service delivery.
According to Madan Bhujel, Secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, several cooperatives have already approached the ministry requesting reversal of the decision and urging that offices be kept open on Sundays.
A senior official at the Ministry of Finance said complaints are rising as financial institutions remain closed on Sundays, adding to the burden on service users. “It has been widely felt that the Sunday holiday is impractical,” the official said.
Narayan Datt Bhandari, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Chief of the Dolakha Road Division, said restrictions on the use of government vehicles during holidays have hampered monitoring and inspection of ongoing road projects.
“Construction work continues even on holidays. But we cannot use government vehicles to reach project sites. Getting permits from the District Administration Office is difficult, and even with approval, there is a risk of being accused of misuse and facing criticism on social media,” he said. “As a result, we generally avoid using government vehicles on holidays.”
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He added that the problem is particularly severe in the road construction sector, where field monitoring is essential.
Officials at the Department of Land Management and Archive also said service seekers face difficulties in land-related transactions due to the Sunday closure.
“People usually do not arrive at 9 AM; they come around 10 or 11 AM. When Sunday is also a holiday, it creates heavy pressure on the remaining working days,” an official said.
Administrative expert Kashiraj Dahal said the two-day weekend could be beneficial if properly managed through improved service delivery and digital governance but warned that without reforms, it would remain impractical.
The government decided to implement the two-day weekend from April 6, citing challenges in petroleum supply. With this decision, government employees and teachers are now entitled to at least 145 public holidays annually.
Earlier, a Cabinet meeting on April 25 approved the official holiday calendar for 2026/27, which has already been published in the Gazette under the Sushila Karki-led government.
The calendar includes 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays, along with 37 festival holidays and four days of national observance holidays, bringing the total to 145 public holidays per year. Employees also receive additional leave benefits under the Civil Service Regulations.
The two-day weekend policy has been introduced twice before but failed to last each time.
In July 1999, the system was implemented for about six months before being withdrawn. It was introduced based on recommendations from the Administrative Reform Recommendation Commission formed in 2092.
More recently, the policy was reintroduced on May 15, 2022, but was revoked effective July 17, 2022, following public criticism and concerns over practicality. The government at the time had justified the move as a fuel-saving measure.
Earlier, in September 2020, when Yogesh Bhattarai was Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, a proposal for a two-day weekend was also prepared. A committee led by then ministry spokesperson Kamal Bhattarai had suggested the policy to promote domestic tourism.
The proposal argued that a two-day weekend could save the state Rs 1.65 billion annually, promote gender equality, boost domestic tourism, and strengthen family life. However, it was never tabled for decision due to opposition from the Ministry of General Administration and Federal Affairs.
How much leave do government employees get?
In addition to public holidays, government employees are entitled to various types of leave, including 12 days of sick leave, 30 days of home leave, and 12 days of casual and festival leave annually.
They are also eligible for up to three years of study leave during service and an additional three years of extraordinary leave. Female employees receive 98 days of maternity leave, while male employees are entitled to 15 days of paternity leave.
Officials say that nearly half of civil servants accumulate earned leave, receiving cash benefits equivalent to up to 180 days upon retirement, according to an official at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration. In addition to scheduled holidays, the Cabinet also occasionally declares additional public holidays.
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