NOC exploitation: Oman's Assistant Attorney General's comments welcomed

Muscat: Legal advisors and social workers welcomed the Assistant Attorney General’s comments made on NOC exploitation. Demanding money in return for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is “exploitation” and could be a form of human trafficking, the country’s Assistant Attorney General has warned.
Read also: NOC for cash in Oman is ‘exploitation’, says top official
Currently, an expatriate worker can switch jobs in the Sultanate only if his/her employer agrees to grant the no-objection letter.

Without it, the law prevents the expatriate from returning to Oman to work for a two-year period.

Times of Oman spoke to a legal expert with knowledge in these matters. “According to the labour law, there is no provision for NOCs. That is purely the discretion of the sponsor,” she said. “Sometimes, it is the internal policy of the company to ask for money, or hold their end-of-service benefits, in exchange for an NOC.

“We have had many cases where employees come to us due to non-payment of salary or withholding of benefits or recommendation letters,” she said, adding that it was often difficult to get the cases to court.

Bangladesh Social Club president Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan said that expatriates can seek the government’s help if they face such a situation. “We also chip in and help the Bangladesh workers if they face harassment against the sponsors,” he said.