Interior Minister Muntaka Clarifies: Monday, 4 August Is Not a Public Holiday in Ghana
In a press briefing today, Ghana’s Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, emphatically debunked rumors circulating that Monday, 4 August 2025, would be observed as a statutory public holiday. He confirmed that there has been no such government declaration and insisted that “4 August 2025 is not a public holiday in Ghana” .
Mr. Muntaka’s clarification comes amid confusion following recent amendments to Ghana’s public holiday calendar. Notably, the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025—which he laid before Parliament in June—removed 4 August (previously designated as Founders’ Day) from the list of statutory public holidays and restored 21 September instead as the date for Founders’ Day honouring Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy .
Under the new legislation, July 1 has been reinstated as Republic Day, marking Ghana’s transition to a republic in 1960, and it now holds the status of a full public holiday .
Mr. Muntaka also highlighted another key provision of the 2025 amendment: any public holiday that falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday will be shifted to the nearest Friday to allow for longer weekends and to enhance productivity—a move that has drawn both praise and criticism from workers and parliamentary figures .
🗓️ Current Public Holidays in Ghana for 2025
According to official records from the Ministry of Interior, the statutory public holidays for Ghana in 2025 are as follows:
- January 1: New Year’s Day
- January 7: Constitution Day
- March 6: Independence Day
- Good Friday & Easter Monday (March/April)
- May 1: Labour Day (May Day)
- July 1: Republic Day (newly reinstated)
- September 21: Founders’ Day (replacing August 4)
- December 5: Farmers’ Day
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: Boxing Day
- Eid‑ul‑Fitri and Eid‑ul‑Adha: dates to be announced by the Office of the Chief Imam
It is important to emphasize that 4 August 2025 is not included on this list and will be treated as a normal working day.
🔍 Summary
- No public holiday will be observed on Monday, 4 August 2025—contrary to some recent claims.
- Founders’ Day has been moved back to 21 September, recognizing Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday.
- Republic Day (1 July) has been reinstated as a full public holiday.
- Midweek holidays may now be shifted to Friday to foster longer weekends.
As Ghana proceeds under the updated holiday calendar, Minister Muntaka urges media and citizens to rely on official Ministry communications to avoid confusion in future.