KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) has come out in support of a  proposal to amalgamate Jamaica’s Emancipation Day and Independence Day into a consolidated national public holiday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the PSOJ said feedback from its members regarding the potential economic, cultural, and societal benefits of a shift in the Emancipendence Weekend format, will “preserve and strengthen cultural heritage.”

“By combining the two holidays into a dedicated period of national reflection and celebration, there is an opportunity to create a more robust, unified celebration that highlights both Jamaica’s liberation from slavery and its journey to independence,” the statement read.

“A consolidated “Emancipendence” holiday can serve as a platform for promoting local tourism and cultural activities…attracting both domestic and international visitors. This will provide a much-needed economic stimulus for the tourism, entertainment, and cultural industries, while also fostering national pride.”

The PSOJ went on to state that while it understands that any change to Jamaica’s public holiday calendar must be approached with cultural sensitivity and a clear understanding of potential challenges, it is eager to engage the Government in further discussions as it hopes the change can be implemented as early as 2025.

“We believe that this consolidation could be a meaningful step in that direction and would hope for the Government’s implementation of same as soon as 2025,” it said.

In a Don Anderson poll commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment  and Sport conducted in 2020, over 60 per cent of Jamaicans supported a proposal for the Emancipation Day and Independence Day holidays to be merged and celebrated on the first Friday in August followed by the Monday, thereby creating a long holiday weekend.

READ: Poll finds strong support merging Independence, Emancipation day holidays