Low efficiency has long been a key challenge to productivity in the Iranian business community. Among the critical topics for Iranian enterprises is the high number of public holidays. In fact, Iran has 26 public holidays, consisting of national and religious occasions, most of which are based on the Islamic lunar calendar. This is while the country is organized based on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar.

The business community complains that public holidays, especially those that shift due to the diversity of calendars, put pressure on resource planning and undermine efficiency in businesses. Against this backdrop, there have in recent years been some adjustments to public holidays, but the situation remains tense. This is especially as businesses and schools can be ordered to close due to...