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Closing day of Song Festival in Latvia to be official holiday

BC, Riga, 02.10.2014.Print version

In the final reading today, Saeima approved amendments to the law on national holidays and remembrance days, adding the closing day of the Nationwide Song and Dance Festival to the list of national holidays, informs LETA.

 

According to the amendments, if this day falls on a Sunday, the subsequent Monday will be an official day off.

 

MP Inguna Ribena (VL-TB/LNNK) previously said during a committee meeting that these amendments should be approved during the current Saeima, and not be left for the next parliament to decide on.

 

Previously, Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma (Unity) had instructed the Culture Ministry to consult with the Economy Ministry and Latvian Employers' Confederation to find out how much one more holiday would cost the state.

 

According to the Employers Confederation's data submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers today, the cost of one national holiday is approximately equal to 0.4 percent of gross domestic product. Whereas the Economy Ministry said that one extra holiday would have a minor effect on the national economy – 0.08 percent to 0.1 percent of GDP.

 

The idea to designate the final days of the Song and Dance Festival national holidays was originally proposed by the Song Festival's Council.

 

According to public opinion surveys at the time, 64 percent supported the idea, which, however, was opposed by President Andris Berzins, who said that the economic effect of one more national holiday should not be underestimated, and suggested that the day off should be granted only to the participants in the festivals.





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