Muscat: Nearly 93 per cent of Omanis are unable meet their needs off of social security payments, according to a study conducted by the Ministry of Social Development.
The study included 178 families (12 from each governorate) that received social security.
The majority of those who are entitled to social security are the elderly, followed by disabled persons and divorced women.
One-hundred-and-nineteen of the families interviewed said they were not exempted from fees to connect power and water services to their homes.
Eighty-nine per cent of families who are entitled to social security are unaware that the government provides the service, according to the study, which recommended raising awareness about the service to Omanis.
It also recommended an increase in financial aid to families with children to address the problem of children dropping out of school due to their family’s inability to afford the necessary school items.
Salim Al Hatmi, a father of five children, told Gulf News it was impossible for him to make ends meet on his OMR264 (Dh2,519) monthly salary.
“I can barely feed my family and pay my electricity and water bills,” Al Hatimi said.
On a more positive note, the study said that 52 per cent of respondents reported improvement in living standards due to recent increases in social security salaries.
Those who receive social security benefits from the government are exempted from many fees, such as for passports, ID cards, health cards for government hospitals, residential land grants, legal fees, issuance of birth certificates, bringing housemaids into the country and private driver fees.
