Hike in work permit fees for expats won't affect companies in Oman

Muscat: The decision to raise the fees of expat workers' permits does not significantly impact the companies that apply the Omanisation rates, the Minister of Labour said on Tuesday. 

During his meeting with a number of members of the Board of Directors of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), His Excellency Dr Mahad bin Said bin Ali Ba'owain, Minister of Labour, said, "The aim of the Ministry’s decisions is to empower job seekers in the labour market, and the Ministry of Labour does not aim to change labour policies in the market in a way that harms investors and business owners.

H.E. Dr Mahad said that the ministry pays attention to the stability of the labour market and the decisions to raise the new fees does not affect the companies applying the Omanisation rates, as these companies will receive varying discounts based on the extent to which they apply the Omanisation rates.

"The Ministry is also ready to discuss any challenges facing these companies in obtaining Omani job seekers in the event that the Omani cadre is not available, through a database that the Ministry is developing and in the event of non-availability, these companies can be allowed to bring in expatriate workers," H.E. Dr Mahad added.