冈比亚共和国总统表示，缩短工作时间是为了让大家有更多的时间礼拜祈祷、进行社交活动，以及在田间耕作。批评人士则认为此举会助长人们的懒惰习性，让本已落后的经济状况雪上加霜。冈比亚共和国总人口约180万，大部分为穆斯林。花生出口是该国的主要经济支柱，因其海滩众多，也是热门旅游胜地。
The Gambia has started a four-day week for public sector workers, with Fridays now an extra day off.President Yahya Jammeh has said the shorter week will give The Gambia's mainly Muslim population more time to pray, socialize and tend to fields.
Critics say his latest decision will promote laziness and disrupt the poor West African state's economy.Agriculture, especially peanut exports, forms the backbone of The Gambia's economy.
It is also a popular tourist destination, because of its beaches.Most people in The Gambia, which has a population of about 1.8 million, are Muslims for whom Friday is a day of prayer.
Fridays and Saturdays are non-working days in most of the Muslim world but some say this disrupts work with Western countries, who have Saturdays and Sundays off.
In a statement last month, Mr Jammeh's office said that from 1 February, the working times in the public sector would be Mondays to Thursdays from 08:00 to 18:00.
"This new arrangement will allow Gambians to devote more time to prayers, social activities and agriculture - going back to the land and grow what we eat and eat what we grow, for a healthy and wealthy nation."The statement said state schools would also be closed on Fridays, but were free to open on Saturdays to compensate for the lost day.
Until now, government employees have been working a five-day week, from 08:00 to 16:00.The change means they would still work a 40-hour week, but critics say it would be disruptive.
They point out that the private sector would still work on Fridays, but would not be able to do any business with the government on that day.