The Culture, Media and Tourism Committee at the State Council has suggested immediate initialisation of the national library within Oman Cultural Complex.
The matter was discussed during the council’s 11th session of the sixth term presided by Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, the Chairman.
Dr Ahmed bin Ali al Mashaikhi, Head of the Committee, said the committee members have collected sufficient information from the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, conducted field visits to many book shops, and hosted top officials from a number of civil libraries to get acquainted with all challenges and obstacles. The committee also recommended the completion of linkage between libraries in universities and the Research Council (TRC) electronically as one virtual platform on which all higher education institutions can take part.
It agreed to a legislative and regulatory framework for libraries for protecting national bibliography as well as Omani intellectual and cultural properties.
It suggested a general policy for libraries, including objectives, basic principles, funding, information availability and workers’ election.
The committee recommended regulations to ease communication between general and private libraries, and making better use of their content. It also approved the proposal of the education and research committee on the study about empowering researchers at the academic and research institutions and linking them to business and industrial organisations in the Sultanate.
It decided to form a drafting committee. It also approved the research and education committee proposal on enhancing the role of education in supporting the knowledge-based economy.
The Secretary-General of the State Council said that the Council of Ministers hailed the tourism sector study, which was referred by the State Council during the second annual sitting of the current term.
The study included a number of visions and proposals that may enhance the tourism sector in the Sultanate.
The Council of Ministers requested relevant organisations to benefit from such visions and proposals.
As for the Cultural Heritage Draft Law and the World Heritage List, Aflaj Sites Regularisation and Protection Draft Law referred by the Council of Ministers, he added that the State Council has approved the recommendations of the joint committee between the State Council and Majlis Ash’shura on the articles of disagreement, which were made during the 9th session of the second annual sitting of the sixth term.
Accordingly the two draft laws were raised to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos together with the views of the State Council and Majlis Ash’shura.
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