MUSCAT: The Supreme Committee on Wednesday issued various measures to support the private sector companies in the country.

According to the Supreme Committee, the affected private sector companies may negotiate a reduction in the wages of employees for three months in exchange for reduced working hours. The affected private sector companies are entitled to grant annual paid vacations to their workers in sectors that have been closed due to the virus outbreak. ‘This procedure may be applied if necessary as of May 2020,’ the Supreme Committee stated.

Employers can renew the expired visas of their expatriate workers who are currently abroad during the precautionary period, it added.

The Supreme Committee announced reduction of renewal fee of employment visa starting from Wednesday to RO201 from RO301 until June 2020.

It extended the period of recruitment visa for non-Omani workforce that expires during this period. Initial work visas may be approved for a non-Omani workforce that is for partial or temporary use, where fees are calculated for the number that the establishment wants.

Multiple establishments owned by the same partners may delegate their employees to work in any of these establishments when necessary. The Supreme Committee package allows private sector establishments to use the workforce of other establishments to work in their facilities according to a written agreement between the establishments.

The Supreme Committee also allowed affected private sector companies to terminate their non-Omani workforce labour contracts, provided that these institutions commit to paying all workers dues before leaving the country permanently.