Ensuring operational continuity in emergencies

The Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) on Sunday issued a regulation on the risk management and operational continuity in the electricity and water sectors, and another regulation on risk management and operation continuity in the water and wastewater sector. The new regulations aim to enhance preparedness for dealing with emergencies and ensure the continuity of vital services.
The regulations mandate that licensees in the electricity and water sectors, and the water and wastewater sectors, prepare an integrated risk management and operation continuity system to ensure an uninterrupted provision of services in emergency cases. The system must be prepared and submitted to the APSR for approval within a period not exceeding six months from the effective date of the regulations or from the date of obtaining the licence.
The regulations define risks as any event, circumstance, or internal or external threat that may negatively affect the continuity or quality of service provision, including natural disasters, cyber threats, operational failures and supply chain disruptions.
The regulations require the licensees to implement several essential risk management procedures, most notably: conducting regular assessments of potential risks to operational processes; maintaining an up-to-date risk register; submitting an annual summary to the APSR outlining potential risks and mechanisms to mitigate them; developing, testing and regularly updating a risk management plan, including procedures for handling service interruptions; and participating in joint emergency drills and exercises in coordination with relevant entities.
The regulations also stipulate the necessity to devise a comprehensive operational continuity plan to ensure the continuity of minimum services during emergencies or disruptions, providing backup systems and contingency measures, conducting periodic tests of these plans and reporting the results to the APSR.
The regulations require the licensees to provide the necessary technical and administrative resources for risk management and operational continuity, in addition to submitting an annual report to the APSR demonstrating compliance with the regulations. The report must include risk assessment reports, emergency response drills and updates to operational continuity plans.
As per the regulations, it is mandatory for the licensee to provide the APSR with all information, data and documents related to the implementation of their provisions, to fully cooperate with periodic audits conducted by the APSR or its designated representative, and to implement directives based on the results of these audits within the specified timeframes.
The regulations give the APSR the power to impose administrative fines of up to RO 500,000 which can be doubled for repeat offenses within two years. A daily fine of up to RO 2,500 may also be imposed for continuous violations, with a maximum total fine of 50,000.