Muscat: Oman’s Council of Ministers said it is following up on the implementation of plans to provide 25,000 jobs to Omani nationals in various sectors in the next six months.
“The Council of Ministers is closely monitoring the progress of employment procedures on a weekly basis in order to get first-hand knowledge of what has been achieved and deal with any challenges that might obstruct implementation of plans,” a statement issued by the council said.
Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, said providing employment to Omanis is a national duty. He pointed out that Oman’s economy is capable of rising to the challenge but this requires the regularisation of the labour market. “The government is working hard to achieve [its aims] so that the labour market can handle the requirements of each stage of development ...", he said.
On October 3, the Council announced 25,000 jobs would be created for Omanis in both private and public sectors starting from December.
More than 6,000 Omanis have been employed in both public and private sector following the decision, according to the Ministry of Manpower.
The government said earlier it had created more than 150,000 jobs in the past four years.
Oman posted a budget deficit of 3.5 billion riyals (Dh33.4 billion) in 2017, as revenues declined by more than 20 per cent.
Oman has smaller oil reserves and less of a cushion in government savings than its wealthier neighbours, making it vulnerable to the impact of lower oil prices that have depressed growth across the region.
