Firms under scanner for Omanisation target

MUSCAT, Jan 26 - Companies operating in the Sultanate have again been warned of stringent action if they do not comply with the mandatory Omanisation target set by the government. According to a senior official at the Ministry of Manpower, all the companies in the private sector are being monitored by a new system to ensure compliance with the Omanisation policy. “Non-compliance will not only end in fines, but also lead to the cancellation of their work permit,” warned the official. He said that all the companies, including government undertakings, will have to get clearance from the ministry before they can hire foreign workers for any positions.

Categories of Firms “A new online system is being introduced to track the erring companies and identify those that meet the Omanisation ratio,” said the official. Under the new system, signals in different colours like the traffic lights will be used to categorise companies that have reached the targeted figure and others that have either unclear policies or are non-compliant with the policy, he said. Inspection teams from the ministry have also been conducting checks at all establishments and firms to ensure there are no violations. Employers face a fine between RO 250 and RO 500 for each worker if they are short of the target. If a company fails to correct its status within six months, the penalty is doubled. In the second quarter of last year, the ministry had penalised 161 companies for not abiding by the law.

Nationals to get priority Along with the Omanisation target, the private sector companies have to give priority to nationals in new jobs. The ministry will assess the situation and reserve more specific positions for Omanis. A foreign worker is hired only if no suitable Omani candidate is available for a particular job,” he said.

According to data from the National Centre of Statistics and Information (NCSI), the number of expat workers in the Sultanate dropped 3.6 per cent to reach 1.73 million at the end of December 2018 as against 1.79 million in the corresponding period of the previous year. As for public sector recruitment during 2019, the state budget includes allocations for 5,000 job opportunities. “The recruitment in the public sector continues to be based on needs, particularly in the education and health sectors,” said the budget statement. However, the private sector is expected to play a greater role in creating more job opportunities as it is involved in all economic activities in the country,” it said.