The government has announced there will be 22 days of official public holidays next year, one day less than this year.

According to a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet on Thursday morning, the Khmer Traditional New Year celebrations will be celebrated for three days next year.

The first public holiday of next year for Cambodia is New Year’s Day on January 1, while the last is Cambodia Peace Day on December 29, established on January 1 this year.

Cambodia Peace Day is a day dedicated for all Cambodians to celebrate peace and deplore war.

It is aimed at commemorating the final end to the civil war and the establishment of full peace and national unity in Cambodia, which came thanks to the Win-Win policy of former Prime Minister Hun Sen on December 29, 1998.

The Khmer New Year holiday is reduced by one day, to three consecutive days instead of four, from April 14 to 16.

Ath Thorn, President of the Cambodian Labour Confederation, said that there are long working hours in Cambodia, often 48 hours for per week. Meanwhile, in many other countries people work a 40-hour-week and in others, only 36 hours. Also, in Singapore, Malaysian and Indonesia weekly working hours are less than in Cambodia although the number of public holidays is similar.

He added that working hours for civil servants and employees in the private sector should be similar, from Monday to Friday, Thorn said.

• Tags: public holidays