Second phase of Oman's Tanfeedh to conclude on Wednesday

Business Tuesday 25/October/2016 23:11 PM
By: Times News Service
Second phase of Oman's Tanfeedh to conclude on Wednesday

Muscat: Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said will patronise on Wednesday over closing ceremony of the second stage of the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification "Tanfeedh" at the new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Al Irfan District in the Governorate of Muscat.
Present at the closing ceremony will be ministers, undersecretaries, government officials and specialists, members of the State Council and Majlis A'Shura, private sector representatives, academics, civil society and participants at the programme.
Tanfeedh is a national initiative carried out as part of the 9th Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020), in collaboration with the Malaysian government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (“PEMANDU”) in order to build upon the achievements of the previous plans with a focus on targeted sectors through the programme. The targeted sectors identified by the Royal Decree (1/2016) are manufacturing, tourism, transport and logistics, mining, and fisheries. The programme will focus on raising the contribution of these sectors to the Sultanate’s gross domestic product (GDP), increasing investment in the sectors, and creating more job opportunities. A second stage will cover the mining and fisheries sectors.
The second stage of the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification is part of the eight stages adopted by "Tanfeedh". The participants discussed for six weeks a range of issues and challenges facing the targeted sectors in the programme. The discussions aimed at developing a clear vision and an action plan for the programme's next stages.
Believing in the importance of defining priorities for the next phase and building on the efforts already exerted by different concerned authorities, the role of "Tanfeedh" is to link the different strategies of the targeted sectors together, and provide a platform for sustainable partnership between the public and private sectors to best serve the society.
The executive framework of the programme was identified, outlining the priorities and encouraging investments, such as zoning sites for tourism investment and setting steps required to promote and support sectors. The Labs aligned the qualifications of the Omani workforce with the requirements of each sector, taking into account the needs of both the employer and employee.
The Labs examine financial issues through two workstreams: firstly, boosting Government revenues through efficient spending and finding new sources of income, and secondly, looking for new sources and mechanisms to finance projects, through maximizing the private sector role.
The objectives of "Tanfeedh" involve creating a promising job market for Omani youth, and strengthening the private sector as a key partner in the development of the national economy, providing a stable work environment that offers different job opportunities in various fields for graduates and reduces the employment burden on the government sector. The programme aimed to better organize the job market for nationals with the cooperation of stakeholders, overcoming the obstacles that prevent them contributing efficiently to the labour market, and discourage investment.
The labs provide a motivational environment for discussion during the six weeks and it is a period of time for building trust, integration and partnership between the government sector, private sector and society. The six-week period developed a detailed plan for the agreed initiatives and programmes. By the end of the sixth week, the programs and initiatives will be announced in a closing ceremony and the public will be engaged and informed of the Labs’ final outcomes.