Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Muscat: The recent increase in expat hiring fees will not significantly affect companies that have the right Omanisation rates, the Minister of Labour has 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,” said Dr Mahad bin Said bin Ali Al Ba’owain, the Minister of Labour, in a meeting with the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).
He added that the ministry pays attention to the stability of the labour market, and the decision to raise fees does not affect the companies that meet Omanisation targets, as they will receive discounts based on the percentage of nationals employed by them.
“The ministry is also ready to discuss any challenges facing these companies in obtaining Omani job seekers, in case the required type of worker is not available to them,” added Ba’owain. “This will be done through a database that the ministry is developing. In the event of non-availability of the right worker, these companies can be allowed to bring in expatriate employees.”
The minister’s comments came after the OCCI had recommended a review of the expatriate hiring fee structure, which was set up for foreign workers taking up jobs at senior management level, with a technical specialisation, or across a number of other roles, including farmers and domestic workers.
“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy is not hidden,” said Redha Al Saleh, OCCI chairman.
“There has been a decline in GDP by 15 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019, in addition to the impact on small and medium enterprises. The activities of many businesses were required to close due to losses incurred, and many nationals working in the private sector lost their jobs, which led to an increase in the number of job seekers, affecting the growth of the national economy, and our stability.”
A number of senior officials were present at this meeting, including Dr Said bin Mohammed Al Saqri, the Minister of Economy, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, and Dr Mahad bin Said Ba’owain, the Minister of Labour.
Also present were Nasr bin Amer Al Hosani, the Undersecretary of Labour at the Ministry of Labour, and Dr Saleh bin Saeed Masan, the Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry at the MOCIIP.
