Muscat: The joint committees of the Majlis A'Shura and the State Council have reached an agreement on all disputed articles, and will submit their report in preparation for discussion in the next joint session. The agreements have arrived at the laws on Personal Income Tax, Financial, and Special Economic and Free Zones laws.
Earlier, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee of Majlis Ash'Shura said that 29 articles have been amended in the draft personal income tax law to ensure fair distribution of wealth.
The impact of the tax, which will provide an additional source of income to the government for social and development projects, on investors' inflation has been also studied.
He said that the Economic Committee has been studying the project after it was referred to it by the Council of Ministers Tax Authority.
The study indicated that the overall impact on the economy because of the taxes will be about one percent, due to the increase in operating costs, especially for workers in some institutions because they need them to raise their salaries. Individuals will salaries that are less than RO2,500 will not be subject to tax.
"We looked at the positive project as a diversification of sources of income and to ensure the fair distribution of wealth. The money collected from taxpayers will be spent on expenses on development projects, the social protection system," he said.
Income Tax will be applied to those with an annual income of RO 30,000 and above (monthly income of RO2,500) and will not be imposed unless conditions are suitable for its application, the Minister of Finance recently confirmed after the budget and added that raising the Value-Added Tax will all citizens, while the income tax will only affect around one percent of the Sultanate’s population.
The Youth and Human Resources Committee of the Majlis A'Shura on Monday held a meeting today with Dr. Fatima Mohammed al Ajmi, Executive President of the Oman Medical Specialty Board, along with several specialists from the Board. The meeting focused on examining challenges related to the employment of Omani bachelor’s degree graduates specializing in dentistry and oral surgery.
During the meeting, discussions revolved around various proposals aimed at achieving sustainable employment solutions in the healthcare sector across multiple specialties. Emphasis was placed on fostering a supportive environment for Omani professionals in the private healthcare sector by improving financial incentives and facilitating collaborations between private institutions and insurance providers.
The committee also highlighted the importance of strengthening 100 percent Omanization efforts in areas such as pharmacy operations within private hospitals and commercial establishments.
Members of the committee sought clarifications regarding the Ministry of Health’s strategic plans for integrating Omani dental graduates into the public sector, particularly in light of the shortage of general and specialized dentists in government healthcare facilities.
The discussion also examined the possibility of extending the working hours of dental clinics in public health centers to include evening sessions to address the growing demand and reduce appointment waiting times.
The committee proposed establishing fully equipped dental and oral surgery centers in every governorate to ensure better accessibility to specialized services.
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