MUSCAT: The Environment Agency and the National Program for Operation signed an agreement on Tuesday to privatise the environmental inspection service in concession areas.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Omari, head of the Environment Agency, and on the other hand, by Dr. Mansour bin Talib Al-Hinai, head of the Public Services Regulatory Authority, General Supervisor of the National Employment Program.

The Chairman of the authority said that the signing of the agreement aims to launch an initiative to privatise the first phase of the environmental regulatory inspection sector. Job opportunities for environmental specialists to carry out inspection work on the oil and gas sector.

His Excellency explained that the agreement will reduce the operational burden on institutions, adding that the institution and its operational team will be monitored periodically by specialists from the Environment Agency to ensure that business continues on the right track, noting that there are ideas for other initiatives in the upcoming stages in the field of privatisation Environmental inspection.

His Excellency pointed out that the concession areas are one of the areas of work that may have an impact on the environment, and therefore environmental inspectors must be constantly present in them.

This signing between the Environment Agency and the National Employment Program comes to privatise the environmental inspection service to be provided by small and medium enterprises to enhance the operational efficiency of environmental control and in line with the Oman 2040 vision in the axis of governance and institutional performance.