The government of Grenada has signaled its intention to have both Houses of Parliament consider the revocation of Carnival Monday and Tuesday as National Holidays this year.
A bill has been drafted that is expected to be brought before the House of Representatives when it meets next week Wednesday, July 29, from 9:00 a.m.
It will then be taken to Senate, and is expected to then be passed into law.
Carnival Monday and Tuesday are mentioned in the Bank Holidays Act, and as such, this legislative process must be followed.
During an interview on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Dr. Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell said with COVID-19 already impacting economic activity, government is keen to see the nation return to full productivity.
Dr. Mitchell said “Businesses have suffered over this period of time, and government itself has experienced a significant reduction in revenue. Therefore, with the cancellation of Carnival this year, which negates the need for the traditional holidays, the prudent thing to do is to use those days productively. Government’s intention here, is not to disregard the importance of culture, but against the backdrop of our individual and collective losses in this pandemic, we must now seek to capitalize on every opportunity to revitalize the economy.”
Dr. Mitchell made it clear however, that Emancipation Day, Monday August 3rd, remains a National Holiday.
