Indonesia slashes public holidays

Indonesia has cut three of its 23 holidays for 2008, citing a need to

keep the economy humming amid fears of a global slowdown. The three

holidays were among eight so-called "sandwich holidays" – days

sandwiched between public holidays and weekends, or to replace holidays

falling on a weekend – which are given to government workers and

shutter the stock market. Critics have long complained that the large

number of Indonesian public holidays puts a drag on the economy.

Sandwich holidays were introduced in a bid to boost domestic tourism

after the 2002 Bali bombings by Islamic extremists, which triggered a

drop in the number of international visitors to the island. (AFP)

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