MUSCAT: In implementation of the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on the cancellation and reduction of some government service fees, the Ministry of Labour said that fees charged against non-Omani manpower recruitment licenses have been discounted for all professions.

The decision, the ministry added, seeks to alleviate economic burdens on private sector establishments and mitigate the repercussions of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the Sultanate of Oman.

Sheikh Nasr Amer Al Hosni, Labour Affairs Undersecretary said that the move is expected to reflect positively on the private sector’s ability to employ Omanis.

The Ministry of Labour will offer additional incentives to private sector establishments that achieve a high percentage of Omanisation within three segments or categories of firms where job classification has been designated, in accordance with the skills needed for each profession.

The expat labour recruitment ratios will be calculated in par with the said classifications, said Al Hosni, noting that the new fee entitles an establishment for 30% discount if it sticks to the required Omanisation percentage, as follows:

Category 1: from OMR 301 to OMR 211.

Category 2: from OMR 251 to OMR 176.

Category 3: from OMR 201 to OMR 141.

The decision reinstates expatriate labour recruitment fees at small and medium enterprises, where fees for the recruitment of 1 to 5 non-Omani workers stood at OMR 101 and 6 to 10 workers OMR 151.

With a view to maintaining balance in Omanisation across all business segments, the ministry is currently studying ways to designate certain Omanisation percentages for each of the above-mentioned categories.