Bachelors can share electricity bill to renew resident card

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has clarified that bachelors living in shared apartments can submit the same utility bill while renewing their resident cards. This clarification came as many bachelors raised their concerns as to how to go about the ROP instruction to submit utility bills while renewing their resident cards. “Bachelors can submit the same utility bills while renewing their resident cards and that wouldn’t affect their right to renew their residency,” Major Ibrahim bin Saif al Shandoodi, Head of Civil Registry at the ROP, told the Observer. He added that a written confirmation will be sought from the landlords as to the authenticity of the bills. “The landlord will be asked to issue a letter to the NCSI certifying that these people are living in the building owned by him or her. Electricity bills are made mandatory to be submitted in order to know how many buildings are there by electricity bills because the survey is not only for people but for buildings and establishments alike.” The Ministry of Civil Service is working with NAMA to share data for the e-Census and there will be an electronic linkage between the ROP and NAMA for the same. “This rule of submitting utility bills while renewing resident permits or identity cards was applied since August 1 for residents and from September 1 for Omanis.” This is part of the e-Census by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) to count people to help the National Data Update Campaign. “This is an announcement to update e-Census data with the help of the electricity bill in preparation for the 2020 census”, an NCSI official informed the Observer. “Every citizen and resident of the Sultanate must register and update his/her current address in the Civil Register System accompanied by the electricity bill for the property he/she owns and rents”, a message from the Electronic Census of Population, Housing and Establishments which went viral on social media platforms, has said. The e-census campaign with the tag line, “Your data your identity”, seeks the support of the common public in association with both the public and private sectors for updating and to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness of the data the results of which will be publicised in December 2020. The campaign also calls for submitting certificates such as birth certificates, death and the social status.