WEDNESDAY November 9, 2016 9 Safar 1438 AH
FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN
At the Opening Session of the 10th Summit of the Co-operation Council of the Arab Gulf States in Muscat, 1990
‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ The Government has exerted tremendous efforts over recent years to create a favourable investment climate for the private sector and has spared no effort in offering facilities according to available resources.
Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 216 | 36 Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group
CABLES
HEALTH COVER FOR ALL WORKERS A MUST In the first phase, the OCCI plans to ensure health benefits for workers in firms with more than 100 employees REJIMON K CHIEF REPORTER
reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: “Ethical” health cover should be provided to all private sector workers by 2018, the country’s chamber of com-
merce has told employers. A plan to ensure health cover across the private sector has been launched by the government body, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In a notice issued on Tuesday, the OCCI urged firms to act according to the plan and provide health insurance coverage for all workers. Trade union bosses welcomed the news, and said that they had already held talks with the government to include health cover in new labour laws proposals, expected to be announced on November 20. In recent months, companies have been ditching their employee health cover benefits and this has led to the “ethical” issue of some workers not able to afford treatment, according to an OCCI spokesman. >A4
TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES
Pinky’s mum arrives in the Sultanate
US ELECTION 2016
REJIMON K CHIEF REPORTER
reji@timesofoman.com
For live US poll updates Log on to WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM
Noted Omani artist honoured
MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia on the occasion of his country’s National Day. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to King Sihamoni and the people of Cambodia further progress and prosperity. Turkey His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable of thanks from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in reply to His Majesty’s congratulatory cable on the occasion of the 93th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic. In his cable, President Erdogan expressed his thanks for His Majesty’s congratulations. He stressed his confidence to continue promoting the relations between the two countries, wishing His Majesty good health and happiness, and the Omani people further progress and welfare. -ONA
H O T E L WA I T R E S S K I L L I N G
CHECK THE VIDEO ONLINE @TIMESTV
HM sends greetings
A4
MUSCAT: “I want to see the killer. I want to know why he did this to my daughter.” These were the first words of Alice Pamittan, mother of murdered Filipina hotel waitress Pinky Pamittan, when she flew in to Oman. She was talking to Times of Oman at the arrival terminal of Muscat Airport yesterday, after securing a visa to travel to Oman and take her daughter’s body back home. “First I will go to the mortuary, see my daughter and then to the police station and the embassy,” Alice added. Alice, who is work-
OMAN
Advertising bar
1
Private training institutions have been barred from advertising training programmes until approval. >A2
INDIA
Modi scraps notes
2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of Rs1,000 and Rs 500 notes. >A3,8
MARKET
Pact for oil block ing in Jordan, flew from Amman yesterday morning to follow up on case procedures and body repatriation. >A5
3
BP and Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production signed an agreement with the Government of the Sultanate. >B1