Oman plans more labour reforms and new taxes – foreign minister

Oman is planning to introduce new labour reforms as well as new taxation as part of a broader economic plan, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Speaking at the 16th IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi confirmed that the plan to abolish the NOC system will be implemented very soon. Scrapping the NOC system will enable expat employees in the country to switch jobs once they have completed their contracts.

Read: Oman to scrap no objection certificate for workers switching jobs

“There will be significant developments in the labour policy, which, in the next few weeks, will include the abolition of the No Objection Certificate system,” he said.

“The electronic transformation that is taking place means we will be cutting back on layers of regulation in order to make doing business in Oman easier than ever before.”

He also confirmed that the sultanate is taking several steps to open up its economy for trade and tourism.

“We have plans to extend visa-free arrival for up to 30 days for citizens of more than 100 countries,” he said.

“These measures are part of a broader package of economic measures, conceived together in Oman’s Vision 2040 and fiscal policy, which will also involve the introduction of new taxation and an end to some long-standing subsidies.

“But as the government designs and implements these policies, it is also taking particular care to make sure that low-income families are properly protected,” Al Busaidi added.

“Security in the Middle East is nothing without the day-to-day security of its people. Their security involves not living in fear of poverty, just as much as it means not living in fear of bombs and bullets. Those of us who enjoy prosperity and privilege owe it to our fellow citizens to make the kind of contribution that will guarantee the security of everyone else.”

Live at #IISSMD20: Middle East security in a global context. Watch @badralbusaidi, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani @bahdiplomatic and @HarjitSajjan discuss now at the IISS Manama Dialogue 2020: https://t.co/Efzy0wLV66

— IISS News (@IISS_org) December 5, 2020