MUSCAT: The Office of Majlis Ash’shura held its fifteenth regular meeting for the third regular session of the tenth term (2023-2027), under the chairmanship of Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Ash’shura, on Wednesday.
The Office reviewed several reports prepared by the council’s standing committees regarding a number of proposals that had recently been studied. The most prominent of these was the proposal submitted by the Services and Public Utilities Committee concerning enhancing the efficiency of electricity and water services in the Sultanate of Oman. The proposal aims to analyse and assess the challenges facing electricity and water services in the Sultanate of Oman and to offer suggestions and recommendations to enhance the quality of these services and boost customer satisfaction.
The meeting also reviewed the report of the Economic and Financial Committee regarding the proposal to exempt small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from additional tax collection in cases where they do not receive an exemption from the president, according to specific criteria. The report included several justifications, most notably enhancing the principle of tax fairness and equality among taxpayers, aligning with modern legislative trends in the Sultanate of Oman, supporting the financial liquidity of SMEs, improving the business environment, and enhancing trust between the public and private sectors.
The office also reviewed the report of the Economic and Financial Committee regarding the proposal to launch a programme to empower local brands in the cafe and restaurant sector and transform them into brands that are capable of regional and global competition. This programme aims to enable Omani brands to achieve sustainable expansion within Oman, qualify them, and enhance their readiness to compete and enter regional and global markets.
The meeting reviewed the report of the Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Committee regarding the committee’s expressed desire to expand public-private partnerships in the areas of early childhood education, academically gifted students, talented students, and students with disabilities. The committee believes it is important to work on expanding these partnerships by developing a long-term national strategy for educational partnerships between the two sectors, based on a unified framework, and adopting a sustainable financing model for purchasing educational services.
The meeting also reviewed the Economic and Financial Committee’s report on the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion’s annual report for 2025, and the Services and Public Utilities Committee’s report on the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology’s annual report for 2025. During the meeting, the office discussed several ministerial responses and a number of follow-up requests submitted by members of Majlis Ash’shura. These included the response provided by the minister of education to a parliamentary question regarding the employment of female graduates of the Primary Teaching discipline, and the response of the minister of housing and urban planning to the inquiry regarding linking housing grants to the absence of property ownership and preventing the sale of granted land until construction is complete.
The office also reviewed the response of the Minister of Labour to the inquiry regarding the increase in work permit fees for expatriates. The response stated that the ministry continues to monitor and evaluate labour market indicators to maintain Omanisation and employment targets, as the permit fees include exemptions and reductions that support the stability of the business environment.
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