Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: The State Council on Sunday, discussed the Draft Law on the Protection of Personal Data referred by the Council of Ministers, with the report of the Council’s Legal Committee and the report of Majlis Al Shura on it, at its eighth ordinary sitting of the first annual session of the Seventh Term of the Council.
The sitting chaired by Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, State Council Chairman was held in the presence of the Council members and the Secretary-General of the Council.
The Council Chairman welcomed the members in the opening speech, reviewed the agenda of the session, and said: “The sitting will be allocated to discussing the Law on the Protection Law of Personal Data referred by the Council of Ministers, with the report of the Council’s Legal Committee and the report of Majlis Al Shura on it.
The Chairman prayed for success of the Council’s work , so that as it would upraise and enhance national progress, under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq - May God protect him and preserve him.
Following this, Dr. Rashid bin Salim bin Rashid Al Badi, Committee Head of the Legal Committee of the Council, reviewed the committee’s statement on the draft law, stressed on the importance of the draft law that it came from the directives of the necessity to simplify procedures and transactions and expanding the use of modern technology and providing services electronically, as per the transitional requirements made by the government.
It is accurate and hence the handling of data, especially personal data is increasing day by day, which has led to the importance of finding a law that organises the issue of dealing with personal data and provides adequate protection.
He explained that the referred draft law included 35 articles divided into five chapters.
The first chapter deals with definitions and provisions in general, while the second chapter is assigned to the tasks and powers of the Ministry of Technology and Communications to which the project is entrusted with some responsibilities and tasks in order to protect the rights of the owners of personal data, while the third chapter is concerned with the rights of the owner of personal data, to ensure the rights of people when dealing with their personal data and protect them from any violation that occurs with that data, while chapter four deals the obligations of the controller and processor who handles the processing of personal data and lastly the articles of chapter five includes penalties for violating the provisions of this law.
Additionally he stated that a number of proposals submitted by the Council members and that were received and the comments of the Bureau members were included in the draft law proposal.
The session witnessed extensive discussions by the members of the Council, where they stressed the importance of the draft law in completing the system of legislation and electronic laws that protect the personal data of the individual in light of the technological development and digital challenges that our world is witnessing today.
Further on, the Council was briefed on the system of representation of the Council of Oman in regional and international forums, the lists of the members of friendship committees with brotherly and friendly countries, in addition it reviewed the report of the General Secretariat and a report on the role of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry in facing the effects of the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19).
