Thursday 23 / January / 2025
Muscat: The Ministry of Labour announced that the Council of Ministers has approved a package of exemptions and financial settlements worth more than OMR60 million, as part of ongoing efforts to rectify the conditions of the workforce and secure the rights of individuals and business owners in a manner that positively contributes to regulating the labor market.
A statement to this effect affirmed the cancellation of all fines and financial dues payable to the Labour Ministry for expired labour cards that were in effect for a period of 7 years. In addition, individuals and business owners will be absolved of paying the registered financial dues (and this includes the price of workers' deportation tickets) for the year 2017 and before.
The Ministry affirmed the cancellation of labor cards that were in effect for a period of 10 years during which the card owners did not apply for any associated service. Yet a note will be added to the cancellation notification stating that the cards could be activated in the cases of “renewal application”, “a worker’s departure”, the “transfer of services” and the “registration of a report of absconding labour”.
The Ministry also announced the writing-off of financial obligations against liquidated companies, provided that the workers of such companies be deported or their services be transferred to other parties.
In addition, the Ministry announced a grace period (a period of six months starting from the first of February 2025) for the parties concerned to help them to streamline the conditions of workers and employers and exempt them from fines associated with the labor cards, provided that the license (the labor card) is renewed and that the renewal sum be paid for the next period (two years), the report of leaving work be canceled, the worker's services be transferred and the value of the travel ticket be paid by the Employer or worker in the event of a worker's final departure.
The Ministry of Labor said that it will begin receiving applications related to this matter during the period from 1 February 2025 until 31 July 2025, through the Ministry’s website and through various service delivery outlets.
--- Ends/Bishara/AG
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