Call for general job visa for construction workers in Oman

Muscat: Contractors in Oman have urged the Ministry of Manpower to consider a general job visa for construction workers to avoid operational issues in the industry.
“We have proposed [to the ministry] to have a single nomenclature job visa (general visa) for construction workers. It will ease our operations,” Shaswar Al Balushi, chief executive officer of the Oman Society of Contractors, told the Times of Oman.
“We hope that the ministry will listen to us and implement the system as early as possible,” he added.
“If we have a single nomenclature job visa for a construction worker who knows electrical and carpentry work, then he will be able to perform both the jobs.
“It would not be a violation, according to the labour law, and companies can benefit,” he added.
Currently, anyone working in a field or occupation different from that listed on the work permit is breaking Omani law and can be sent home. Those not working for their sponsor are also breaking the law. There are 681,590 expatriates and 55,124 Omanis working in the construction sector, according to the latest data from the government.
Abdul Gafoor, general manager at Al Shabibi Global, welcomed the proposal, saying that it will help them in manpower recruitment, and is also financially sound.
“Due to certain bans, we are struggling to get manpower. If a general visa comes up, we will be able to cope with the current situation financially and work on the projects,” Gafoor said.
On July 1, Oman banned the issuance of visas for six months, in certain fields, especially in construction, to expatriates.
Sunil Kumar KK, a senior official at Najmat Al Fujairah Trading Construction Company, said that the proposal, if implemented, would be a blessing for the construction sector, which is struggling due to the dip in oil prices.
“This move will help us to hire multi-skilled workers and engage them in work. It will not become a violation. As we are running short of funds, hiring workers in different professions is quite hard now. Let this single nomenclature happen soon,” Sunil added. The construction sector is struggling in Oman due to payment delays caused by the economic slowdown.
“Due to the oil price dip, there are no new projects coming up in Oman.
“In addition, companies carrying out existing projects are facing big trouble with cash inflows, which will eventually lead to salary delays and other issues,” Al Balushi said.
Oman’s budget deficit soared by 63 per cent to OMR4,371.6 million in the first eight months of 2016 due to the slump in crude oil export revenue.
This is against a projected deficit of OMR3.3 billion for 2016, and a deficit of OMR2,681.6 million from January to August period last year.