MUSCAT, MAY 18 - Majority of the respondents in a survey conducted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) opined that expatriates should not be allowed in street vending businesses. The survey conducted last week following the ministry’s decision that owners of street vending businesses will not be allowed to employ expatriates. The survey announced on its Twitter account, the ministry provided two options seeking public opinion on whether expats could be employed in street vending businesses. While 78 per cent of a total of 4,809 respondents who participated in the survey voted against employing expatriates, the remaining 22 per cent voted in favour.
In a statement last week, the ministry said that licenses for street vendors are granted only to elderly Omanis. “Expatriates will not be allowed to work in mobile shops, operating vending machines, juice, ice cream, and other activities”, the statement from the ministry had said. According to the ministry, such opportunities are available to Omanis to earn a living until they have access to other jobs or are able to expand and open their own shops. “After getting this, an Omani can obtain foreign labour within the normal business framework and according to the conditions and terms set by the authorities concerned,” the ministry said in the statement.
The decision was taken in coordination with the Ministry of Manpower, the Royal Oman Police, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources and municipalities of Muscat, Suhar and Dhofar. It said that there are many successful business models currently in operation at different places. The ministry is also working with various agencies including Rafd Fund to help young Omani youth who wish to start their businesses. The authorities are also working on making changes to rules and regulations for restaurants and hotel industry to encourage street food culture and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sector.
Mobile cafés activities are also allowed in public locations such as beaches, holiday sites, public venues, parks after obtaining the necessary approvals from the authorities concerned. According to the Article 3 of the decision which regulates the operations of street vendors, the applicant must be an Omani, while Article 7 states that businesses cannot be handed over or leased out to expatriates. According to the ministry, the number of licenses for street vendors reached 398 at the end of April 2019.
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