President Alan Garcia Wednesday night signed into law an ‘urgent decree’ approved by his Cabinet that turns Saturdays and Sundays, and holidays, into work days for documentary procedures in all government offices. The law, Decreto de Urgencia Nº 099-2009, goes into effect Friday, after its publication in the official gazette, El Peruano, today.
The measure applies specifically to the documentary process department in ministries and government institutions. The purpose, according to Prime Minister Javier Velásquez Quesquén, is to accelerate the administrative process of all documents filed with and issued by the government.
Velásquez Quesquén said the government would not be hiring more personnel, nor is overtime to be considered, and instead all ministries have 30 days to rationalize human resources and create a special shift for their documentary process offices. If necessary, he said, the ministries will have to renegotiate labor contracts with their employees. The law also indicates that all personnel will retain their right to same amount of time off, two week days in most cases.
The law includes all non-working holidays, with the exception of Jan.1st, May 1st, July 28 and 29, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25, when government offices will remain closed.
President Garcia said the new law does not affect the working day periods set for resolution of contested documents, personnel notices, and legal actions, which will continue to be calculated on the five day week system.
