Oman: Ministry of Labour introduces online service for expatriate work force

Muscat: The Oman Ministry of Labour announced yesterday that a new electronic service has been launched to register the work contracts for non-Omani manpower.

The service which started on 3 November, enables the employers to register work contracts for their expatriate employees through the ministry’s electronic portal.

The service provision is subject to conditions like the arrival of expatriate employee into Oman with resident card issued or renewal of work permit with resident card issued, or transfer of services having completed the resident card issuance. The service can also be utilised for those whose profession has been amended, as per required procedures as well as by those whose contract has expired.

Expat manpower

The Ministry of Labour confirmed that the contract can be modified through the contract amendment service dealing with expatriate manpower, which will help employers amend the contract details.

The Ministry indicated that to ensure the correctness and accuracy of the contract data, the worker will need to review and approve the contract registered by the employer through the employment contract acceptance service. The service is accessed using the civil card number through the mobile phone which is enhanced with the electronic certification feature.

Oman’s efforts to promote e-governance to promote business investments in the country has also resulted in obtaining the labour permits for expatriate workers in Oman in just three days. The same used to take weeks to process earlier.

The Ministry of Finance noted in the Medium Term Fiscal Plan (MTFP) 2020 – 2024 that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made it important for the public sector to adapt and transition to an e-governance system. The Ministry of Finance noted that the necessary services could be provided even when people are unable to visit public sector offices.

The MTFP report also noted that improving and developing the business environment is one of the most important factors supporting the empowerment of the private sector, which in turn helps stimulate economic growth and increase job opportunities.