Times of Oman - October 12, 2016

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WEDNESDAY

October 12, 2016 10 Muharram 1438 AH

HM SENDS GREETINGS

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to King Felipe VI of Spain 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 Felipe VI and the Spanish people further progress and prosperity. -ONA

On the occasion of the 4th National Day, 1974

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We aim to extend education throughout the Sultanate so that everyone may have the chance to study according to his abilities. We are also working on a plan to eradicate illiteracy and we are focusing our attention particularly on vocational and higher education so that we can meet the country’s needs for trained Omani manpower.

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 192 | 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

18,800 people register for competition

To include their names in His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s portrait for the 46th National day, so far 18,800 people have registered. On Facebook, 77,935 people have seen the page and it was liked and shared by 1,235 and 216 respectively. On website there were 14,273 page views.

MORNING MINUTE

REMOVAL OF NOC TOPS ROP, MINISTRIES AGENDA Currently, an expat worker seeking to switch job requires a NOC to join a new company or has to go back home and return after a gap of two years

Industry leaders have called for an end to the NOC rule to boost the Omani economy

REJIMON K

reji@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Multi-agency meetings between ministries and the Royal Oman Police (ROP) are ongoing to end the No Objection Certificate (NOC) requirement for expat workers in Oman, an advisor to the Ministry of Manpower said. And industry leaders say the decision to axe the NOC in Oman must come soon if the country is

to compete with neighbouring countries who have already announced cutting red tape to ease labour migration. “There are meetings between authorities in Oman on this subject,” the advisor to the minister told Times of Oman. On Monday, a senior official from the Ministry of Manpower said that NOCs in Oman “will be

removed”. “We will remove the NOC option. It will be removed. The plan is being considered seriously,” Said bin Nasser Al Saadi, the advisor to the Minister for Manpower, said in an exclusive interview. Currently, expat workers must possess a NOC to change jobs in Oman. Expatriate employees who wish to quit a job in Oman

and return to join a new company have to procure a NOC from their employer. Without it, the current law prevents the expatriate from returning to Oman for two years. Meanwhile, economists and industrialists say that the law if abolished will create a more employee-focused environment and also reduce the entry barrier which had previously kept excellent talent from coming to Oman. “If it does happen, there is an overall positive impact,” Mohammed Nayaz, Partner at Ernst & Young, said. “If the law if abolished it will create a more employee focused environment and also reduce the entry barrier which had previously kept excellent talent from Oman. The ministry has been trying to improve Oman’s rank in the global competitiveness index, which can surely be achieved by such measures,” he added.>A6

BUDGET AIRLINE

MUSCAT: SalamAir—Oman’s first budget airline—plans to connect Muscat with Salalah with four flights a day, besides flying to Dubai and Jeddah, the airline announced on Tuesday. Speaking to the Times of Oman, François Bouteiller, chief executive officer (CEO) of SalamAir said: “We are looking at launching flights to East Africa and the Indian subcontinent also.” The launch of the budget airline may bring down fares in some sectors. “Why pay for something

which you don’t need? That’s the idea. Suppose if you are going to Salalah and you are not carrying a suitcase, then we will offer you a discounted or an interesting price,” CEO Bouteiller said. Awarded its air service operator licence by the Public Authority

for Civil Aviation (PACA) in early 2016, SalamAir’s fleet of three Airbus A320s is scheduled to take to the skies at the end of the year. “The final date has not been set yet,” Bouteiller said. With its first flight scheduled to take off from Salalah to Muscat, the low-cost carrier plans to extend its operations quickly in the Middle East and East Africa. “We will only have economy seats in all our aircraft and Muscat will be our home base, though the Salalah International Airport will play a very important role in our operations,” Bouteiller said. >A2

2 children killed in house blaze Times News Service MUSCAT: Two children died after a fire broke out in a house in the Wilayat of Barka, South Al Batinah Governorate . The house caught fire at 5pm yesterday in Qarhat Al Balush village, according to reports. The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) rushed to the scene to douse the flames only to find the two children lying dead. Investigations are going on to find the cause of the fire.

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Parking meters

1

Muscat Municipality has announced it will install more parking meters in several areas of Muscat. >A3

SalamAir plans 4 daily Salalah flights Times News Service

BARKA

OMAN

Samsung Note7 sale

2

Sales of Samsung Note7 handsets will be stopped in the country, according to a top official at SARCO. >A5

MARKET Global honour for Times’ national dress initiative

Stock market trend

A3 3

Crude prices and the ability to cut deficit will affect stocks recovery. >B1


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