It is now official. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has confirmed the minimum salary requirement for an expatriate to bring his family to the Sultanate has been reduced from RO 600 to RO 300, said a senior official.
A top ROP official told the Observer that henceforth, those earning a salary of RO 300 will be able to bring their families to Oman.
“We received an official confirmation on Tuesday morning about the revision of the earlier condition. Now, an expat drawing a minimum salary of RO 300 can sponsor his family under the ‘family joining residence permit’,” the official said.
Expatriates hailed the decision on social media as “highly proactive”.
“I welcome the decision as it means more people coming to Oman and spending in the country. It is good both economically and socially,” Uday Kumar Das, a banker, said.
“It’s a commendable step, which will give a boost to the retail and real estate sectors,” said Giby George, operations manager at Majan Continental Hotel. “It’s a boon for expatriates.”
G Ramesh, CEO of events at Orbit Events, said most of us are here for improving our financial status. “One of the biggest compromises is leaving our families back home. This move can bring smiles on many faces.”
“From the economic perspective, when families of expatriates are here, their increased local expenditure is an advantage.”
Sreenath, an oil and gas engineer, said this will be an “added burden on the ordinary workers” who try to make ends meet.
“These workers will come under pressure to bring their families here, but the intricacies are manifold. Accommodation, food and education expenses will be a burden for them,” says Sreenath.
Anthony Mendonca, Manager - Training, Leadership Development and Quality Assurance at the Travel City Group, feels this move will benefit those living in regions where the overall cost of living is lower than in the metro cities. Even then, it will be a stretch because of the employment visa conditions.
“At RO 300, a single wage earner will double his expenditure due to the additional spending on housing, accommodation and education. We have not even considered indirect taxation or VAT at this point,” says Mendonca.
“Needless to say, it will give a boost to the real estate industry. Also, the need to send money back home comes down, thus positively impacting the economy,” he said.
KABEER YOUSUF
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