MUSCAT: The Office of Majlis Ash’shura held its tenth meeting of the second regular session of the tenth term (2023–2027), under the chairmanship of Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman, on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the office reviewed the Council of Ministers’ response to the expressed desire on the residential cities in the Sultanate of Oman. In its response, the Council of Ministers said that the government continued to implement strategic programmes and plans to achieve sustainable urban development and improve the use of land and resources within the framework of the National Urban Development Strategy 2040.
The office also discussed the request submitted by the Economic and Financial Committee regarding the repercussions of recent public offerings of government-owned companies on the investment landscape on the Muscat Stock Exchange. The committee’s report included the views of the hosted entities including Oman Investment Authority, Muscat Stock Exchange and the Financial Services Authority. Also discussed was the committee’s proposed recommendations to enhance investor confidence and achieve privatisation objectives.
The meeting also reviewed the response of the Secretariat-General of the Tender Board to a request for a briefing regarding allocating procurement and tenders to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The office also reviewed the response of the Minister of Education regarding the Educational Measurement and Evaluation Centre, which outlined the Ministry’s efforts to develop the evaluation system in accordance with international best practices. It also discussed the reasons for the delay in approving the centre’s structure and determining its administrative affiliation.
The office discussed the Ministry of Education’s response to a request for briefing regarding the replacement of expatriate engineers. The response included employment statistics, replacement efforts, and the challenges associated with employing Omanis in engineering jobs. The office also reviewed the response of the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation regarding national replacement programmes in private universities, and the response of the Minister of Social Development regarding the Social Protection Law.
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