Supreme Committee issues new decisions to support the private sector and its workforce

The Supreme Committee in charge of dealing with COVID-19 has outlined various obligations of different parties towards others in a statement it made earlier today.

Obligations of the private sector companies and institutions that are affected by COVID-19 towards Omani employees:

1. Not to lay off Omani employees.
2. To offer annual paid leaves to employees in sectors that have been closed.
3. Companies may negotiate reduced wages to employees for a period of three months in exchange for reduced work hours after exhausting employee’s paid annual leave days in full, provided that this is applied (if necessary) as of May 2020.

Obligations of the community to Omani workers whose wages are reduced:

1. Postponement of bank loans repayments and other financing loans that are due during the period of reduced wages, and rescheduling loans without interest or additional fees.
2. Postponing the payment of electricity, water and wastewater bills until the end of June 2020, and providing an installment schedule for the amounts due in the future.
3. The provision of a National Fuel Support Card to some employees according to their income category.

Obligations of the private sector companies and institutions that are affected by COVID-19 towards expatriate employees:

1. Agreement between the institutions and companies of the private sector and their employees regarding the payment of their wages.
2. Institutions are entitled to submit annual paid leaves to their workers in sectors that have been closed.
3. Institutions can end the contracts of their non-Omani workforce, if they commit to paying all fees and benefits as required by law, and provided that the employees leave the country for good.

Obligations of the government to private sector institutions and companies that are affected by COVID-19  include:

1. Reducing expatriate employees cards renewal fees from R.O. 301 to R.O. 201 until the end of June 2020.
2. Allowing the renewal of expired cards for institutions that have a national workforce and owners of SMEs that are registered in social insurance.
3. Exemption of fees and fines resulting from work permits for the non-Omani employees provided that these employees leave the Sultanate for good.
4. Allow employers to renew work permits that are expired for workers who are currently outside the Sultanate, and exempt them from penalties resulting from it, after coordination with the concerned authorities.
5. Extending the term of expatriate manpower licenses that will expire in the upcoming period.
6. Initial work permits may be approved for a non-Omani workforce (partial or temporary use), fees are calculated according to the number of permits applied for (1 permit per employee).
7. Multiple establishments owned by the same partners may assign their employees to work in any of these establishments when necessary.
8. Private sector enterprises may use the workforce of other establishments to work in their own facilities, given that there’s a written agreement between them.
9. Allowing private sector institutions and companies affected to terminate their workforce labor contracts, provided that these institutions commit to paying employees all the fees and benefits as required by law, and provided that the employees leave the country for good.