Pajhwok 03/18/2010By Rehmatullah Afghan [Printer Friendly Version] KABUL - The council of ministers has approved a Justice Ministry draft law declaring Friday and Saturday as weekly holidays, an official said here on Tuesday. A spokesman for the Cabinet Secretariat told Pajhwok Afghan News the cabinet endorsed the amended first paragraph of Article 41 of the Afghan Labour Law on Monday. Faizi Zadran said the draft policy had been sent to the Wolesi Jirga, Lower House of Parliament, for approval. "As and when ratified, it will become a law," he added. Unlike the neighboring countries, Afghanistan still observes Friday as a day-off and works half day on Thursday. Wolesi Jirga First Secretary Dr Salehuddin Saljooqi acknowledged the draft law was on the house agenda. He hoped lawmakers would soon vote on it. The head of the General Directorate of the Institute of Legislative Affairs and Academic Legal Research called the move beneficial for Afghanistan's economy. Associate Professor Syed Yusuf Halim told PAN they drafted the law in line with recommendations from the Ministries of Finance, Labour, Social Affairs, Martyr and Disabled Affairs. Observing a weekly day-off different from other countries, Afghanistan had to suffer a loss of 2.5 billion afghanis annually, he argued. "Taking Friday and Saturday as days off will prove beneficial both for the government and traders," hoped Saifullah Sayhoon, a teacher at the Kabul University. He said there was no problem with two weekly holidays as most countries, including many Islamic nations, were doing so.
