Saturday 28 / December / 2024
Muscat: Citizens in Oman have thanked His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his directive to reduce labour visa fees and exempt individuals and companies from paying fines due to delay in renewal of residence cards.
On 5 April, the Royal Oman Police said in a statement: “In implementation of His Majesty’s Royal directives, establishments and individuals will be exempted from paying fines pertaining to the delayed renewal of residence and resident cards, effective from tomorrow, Wednesday, 6 April 2022, provided that the current situation is rectified before 1 September, 2022.”
Ahmed Al Badi from Saham in North Al Batinah said these decisions were needed owing to the challenging economic conditions brought about by the impact of COVID-19.
“All thanks and appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and his wise government for serving citizens, individuals and organisations, and the Royal Oman Police for the continuous services they provide.”
In this context, Ahmed Al Junaibi, a business owner from Duqm in Al Wusta, said business owners were expecting such a decision, as this is the way by which they can benefit greatly, given the current circumstances.
“The impact of high fees is that we are unable to recruit workers, especially when it comes to certain companies and small and medium enterprises,” he said. “We are especially pleased with the directives and were eagerly awaiting the announcement of this decision.
“As a company owner, I will benefit greatly from this decision, especially after two years of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic consequences it brought about for all of us,” he added.
“Companies will benefit from this decision as it will help us address our financial and labour concerns and it will facilitate many positive effects, encourage more investments while aiding the recovery of the local market.”
Al Junaibi requested that there should be coordination between all government bodies when it came to implementing this decision, saying: “We hope this service will be extended to all entrepreneurs and businessmen in the country.”
Furthermore, Moath Al Saeedi from Khaboura was hopeful that companies would pass on these savings to consumers, because of the large volume of purchases made by people during Ramadan.
“During this month, the amount of fruits, vegetables and other goods that are bought by people increase,” he said. “We went through a difficult period during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision is a lifeline during challenging financial conditions.
“I would like to thank His Majesty for his interest, wisdom and noble directives that guide the citizens of Oman, and help relieve them from the economic conditions they face,” added Al Saeedi. “His government showed consideration for the needs of citizens.”
