MoHE verification of educational certificates a must: OCCI

Muscat: All employees of private sector institutions should get their education certificates issued from universities abroad accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) through its website.

Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry made a statement in this regard on Monday.

"Just all private sector employees should have equivalence certificate if they obtained their education qualifications from outside the country," the chamber said.

The Qualification Equivalency & Recognition Department at MOHE has been facing many challenges, including fraud in the academic qualifications of different types and enrol some students institutions of higher education are not recognized or fake institutions.

Such cases have promoted the intensify its efforts to keep track of these institutions and raise the level of awareness among the public about the phantom universities, forgery and provide accurate statistics on these institutions and methods to provoke the students.

Earlier, the Government Communication Centre had issued a circular to all employers requesting them to abide guidelines.

The statement called upon the need for attestation by the Ministry of Higher Education of academic certificates obtained from abroad. The centre said that all persons are obliged to attach certified documents and transcripts when registering any request related to updating their data and qualifications. Otherwise, the application will not be processed, in addition to the signature of the applicant with an undertaking that if the provided data is false, he or she shall bear legal consequences.

The Director of Certificate Attestation and Equivalency at the ministry had said that the decision taken by GCC countries in December 2012 lays down rules for verifying the authenticity of academic certificates of those applying for jobs in the member countries.

The official had said the ministry has also approved a special regulation on the attestation of non-Omani higher education institutions and the equivalency of certificates issued by these institutions.

As per the regulation, any certificate issued by a foreign university should be attested and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education. Otherwise, it will not be treated as a valid document.