Here is the government circular regarding the Wednesday holiday

As a measure to face a potential fuel crisis in the future due to the war situation in the Middle East, every Wednesday of the week has been declared a holiday for government offices until further notice. S.

This has been officially announced by the latest circular No. 09/2026 issued under the signature of Mr. Aloka Bandara. Accordingly, it has been emphasized that duties scheduled for Wednesdays should be carried out on Tuesdays.

It has also been decided that if an officer is called to duty on a Wednesday based on a decision by an institutional head, no holiday pay, overtime, or compensatory leave will be granted for it. Furthermore, this prohibits calling officers from offices closed on Wednesdays to duty on weekends or public holidays on the basis of paying overtime or holiday pay. However, heads of institutions with technical facilities are permitted to arrange a system for officers to perform duties from home without coming to the workplace.

If officers need to be called to duty on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday due to an urgent necessity, prior approval must be obtained from the Ministry Secretary, Provincial Chief Secretary, or the head of the relevant institution. The circular states that there is no impediment to providing overtime and holiday pay to officers called to duty with such proper approval. In addition, full authority has been vested in the respective District Secretaries to call necessary officers for duties related to disasters caused by the recent cyclone.

The government emphasizes that these new regulations should not hinder the continuation of essential government services. If the relevant heads decide that an institution providing essential services should remain open on Wednesday, it will be considered a normal working day for those institutions. Furthermore, it is stated that the provisions of this circular do not apply to state institutions already operating under a shift system. Separate instructions regarding the calling of officers in institutions belonging to the judicial and education sectors are to be issued by the relevant commissions and ministry secretaries, while issues related to state corporations and statutory boards must be resolved based on the instructions of the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.

This also instructs to immediately cease the organization of festivals, conferences, and similar events within state institutions. Government officials have been further informed that the instructions in Public Administration Circular No. 04/2022, previously issued regarding the economical use of electricity and fuel for managing state expenditure, must be strictly followed.