Consumer awareness sees significant improvement in Oman
Muscat: Consumer Empowerment Index regarding rights and responsibilities for the year 2024 reached approximately 78%, marking a significant increase compared to the year 2022, Oman's Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) said on Tuesday.
'This reflects a positive development in the relationship between consumers and markets in the Sultanate of Oman and is a result of the intensive efforts made by the Consumer Protection Authority to enhance transparency and ensure consumer rights.'
Furthermore, the development of this index contributes to achieving the priorities of Oman Vision 2040, particularly in the governance and institutional performance axis. It does so by utilising the index results to attain effective institutional performance and provide high-quality government services.
The study was based on the opinion poll about 'Consumer Empowerment Index on Rights and Duties in the Sultanate of Oman' and was conducted by the Market Studies and Research Department of the Authority in 2024.
'The study aimed to enhance consumers' ability to transition from being aware consumers to empowered consumers who are fully aware of their rights and duties. This was achieved by identifying the level of consumer awareness of their rights and duties in Oman, revealing consumer practices, and measuring their level of engagement and participation in their experiences with society,' the authority said. The survey contributed to providing a deeper understanding of consumer behaviours and empowerment, which helps in developing policies and programmes that better meet their needs.
The consumer empowerment index used in the study was based on three key indicators.
The first indicator focused on awareness of consumer rights legislation, measuring the level of knowledge related to contractual conditions and commercial practices, as well as ensuring consumers' entitlements, including rights of return and exchange.
The government departments will be assessed based on operational speed, leadership quality, and job satisfaction, enhancing the efficiency of government work and raising overall performance standards.
During the conference, the minister addressed the efforts of the National Employment Programme, which aims to integrate educational outcomes with labour market needs.
This will be achieved by analysing and diagnosing the employment system and providing innovative solutions to enhance its efficiency and bridge the existing gaps.
The programme has contributed to the localisation of 2,800 leadership and mid-level positions in industrial estates, in collaboration with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn).
Additionally, the programme has launched several advanced digital tools to improve labour market efficiency, including the 'Tawteen' platform for managing employment in economic sectors, the 'Marsad' platform for analysing labour market data, and the 'Khuta' platform for assisting Omani youth in making sustainable career decisions.
The minister emphasised that employment governance committees, established in 17 key economic sectors, are working to achieve localisation goals and enhance employment opportunities for Omanis.
Work is also underway to establish specialised companies to enable job seekers to enter new sectors, such as information technology and periodic maintenance, which manages maintenance contracts in industrial zones.
Regarding entrepreneurship support, the ministry has launched an integrated package to support freelance work, including financing, training, social protection, and consulting, as well as supporting Omani freelance platforms.
The ministry has announced funding for the pilot phase of the 'Smart Management' project, in collaboration with the private sector, to enhance digital governance in human resources management.
Three pilot applications will be designed to test artificial intelligence solutions, build a visual identity, and establish a digital knowledge base.
The 'Waiting List' initiative will also be launched to facilitate employment opportunities through smart systems. The minister confirmed that the labour department continues to adopt global best practices in digital transformation, explaining that these efforts will contribute to raising the efficiency of government work, improving the employee experience, and ensuring the integration of operational policies between the public and private sectors.
© Muscat Media Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tourism Breaking News
a day ago
- Tourism Breaking News
Oman hospitality sector welcomed 820,365 guests in 2024 : OMRAN
Post Views: 47 The Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) announced that the hospitality sector welcomed 820,365 guests across its hotel portfolio in 2024 — a 6% increase compared to the previous year. The portfolio achieved an average occupancy rate of 45%, marking a 2.6% increase year-on-year. A major milestone was achieved with the official opening of JW Marriott Muscat, further enriching the luxury hospitality landscape in the Sultanate of Oman. As part of its efforts to position Oman as a premier luxury tourism destination on the global map and to attract the world's leading hospitality brands, OMRAN Group announced several strategic projects, most notably the Middle East's first Club Med Resort that will be developed in Musandam, and the signing of a strategic partnership with Santani Wellness Resorts to introduce wellness tourism in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. The Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) has announced strong financial and operational results, underscoring the Group's sustained efforts and corporate excellence in advancing tourism development and supporting sustainable economic growth in the Sultanate of Oman, in close collaboration with key stakeholders. In 2024, the Group recorded a net profit of OMR 25.2 million and total revenues exceeding OMR 58.3 million, reflecting operational efficiency and the high standards of excellence embraced across its business operations. These achievements were presented during the Group's recent Board of Directors meeting, where the Board reaffirmed its continued commitment to reinforcing the Group's role in advancing economic diversification and amplifying its impact as a key catalyst for tourism development and investment in the Sultanate. Demonstrating its ability to attract high-quality investments, OMRAN Group secured over OMR 156 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during 2024. This achievement aligns with Oman Vision 2040 and the national efforts to boost FDI inflows and enhance the contribution of various economic sectors to the GDP. Reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and local value creation, the Group achieved a 40% In-Country Value Index in 2024, with total spending exceeding OMR 19 million in support of SMEs, which accounted for 34.7% of overall procurement spending. Furthermore, the Group created 370 new job opportunities for local talents, achieving an Omanisation rate of 94% within Oman Tourism Development Company SAOC and 53% across the Group, highlighting its dedication to empowering national talent and supporting the local economy. In line with its vision to enhance corporate governance practices, OMRAN Group launched its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework during the year, reinforcing its commitment to global sustainability standards, transparency, and excellence across all its operations and projects. The positive results achieved by OMRAN Group in 2024 reaffirm its leading role as a catalyst for tourism development in the Sultanate of Oman. Through pioneering projects, strategic partnerships, and innovative initiatives, the Group continues to strengthen its position and contribute to Oman's journey towards a diversified and sustainable economy.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Oman: A vision for a sustainable digital future
Digital transformation is a crucial catalyst for a country's development. Its adoption across various sectors enables nations to achieve significant improvements in productivity, efficiency and innovation. The Sultanate of Oman is a country that has made significant strides towards creating a digitally empowered society and economy. Aligning with Oman Vision 2040, the country's digital transformation aims to build a sustainable knowledge society and increase the contribution of the digital economy to its GDP, improve government services and empower the workforce. The country is now poised to unlock new opportunities, enhance efficiency and improve the quality of life for its citizens and residents. Many international agencies have acknowledged and honoured Oman for this transformative journey to modernise its economy and society. In this context is Oman's improvement 2024 ranking in the Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index (GEMS) with a score of 72 per cent, up from 66 per cent in 2023. The report released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia covers 17 Arab countries and assesses digital government performance across three key dimensions – service availability and development, service uptake and satisfaction, and government outreach and engagement. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led the index with scores of 96 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively, reflecting strong progress in national digital transformation. The index covers a wide range of sectors, including health, education, transportation, finance, justice, trade, tourism and social affairs. In a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), 'underpinned by its Vision 2040, Oman has embarked on an ambitious reform agenda aiming at reducing its reliance on hydrocarbons and creating a more sustainable, more inclusive and knowledge-based economy.' Oman Vision 2040 aims to elevate the country's ranking to be among the top 20 countries globally in developing electronic services and improving its global standing in e-government development and ease of doing business indicators. The IMF eLibrary report that took stock of the state of digital transformation in Oman highlights the recent launch of the country's National Digital Economy Programme also known as "Tahweel" that aims to provide a strategic direction for the development of the digital economy and increase its contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from its current level estimated at 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2040. The Tahweel programme plays a crucial role in enhancing participation and enabling individuals, citizens, residents and private sector institutions to contribute effectively to developing government services by submitting reports, complaints and suggestions. In addition, this programme aims to advance Oman's global ranking in various digital economy indicators identified in Vision 2040, such as the e-government development index and the network readiness index. However, the IMF report suggests that while Oman has progressed well on many aspects of digitalisation, such as Internet penetration and 4G and 5G population coverage, it still needs to deploy additional investments and efforts to match its GCC peers on several other aspects. 'Further efforts are particularly needed to raise Internet connection speed, increase the prevalence of advanced ICT skills among the population, usher in digital innovation and promote e-commerce. The analyses indicate that enhanced digitalisation, can, in turn, engender substantial gains," the report suggests. A report by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology stated that government entities in Oman have made remarkable progress in implementing digital transformation requirements. According to the report, the Tahweel programme has achieved an overall performance rate of 73 per cent by the end of November 2024, a significant increase from 53 per cent in 2023. Government institutions demonstrated an average performance of 77 per cent in meeting digital transformation requirements, while governorates averaged 71 per cent. BLURB Oman is now poised to unlock new opportunities, enhance efficiency and improve the quality of life for its citizens and residents. Many international agencies have acknowledged and honoured Oman for this transformative journey to modernise its economy and society 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Digital banks in Oman get green-light from CBO
MUSCAT - The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has issued a regulatory framework for the licensing and supervision of digital banks, marking a major step toward modernising the country's financial sector. The framework, which came into effect on June 1, 2025, is aligned with Oman Vision 2040. The framework allows digital banks to operate as either locally incorporated joint-stock companies (SAOC or SAOG) or as branches of foreign banks, subject to regulatory approval in their home jurisdictions. Two types of licenses will be offered. Category 1 requires a minimum paid-up capital of RO 30 million and allows full operations. Category 2 requires RO 10 million but comes with business limitations, including caps on customer deposits and corporate lending, and a prohibition on proprietary trading. These limits are waived during the first two years of operation. All digital banks must maintain a physical head or registered office in Oman. They may open administrative offices for customer support, but not traditional branches for transactions. Shareholding limits apply: individuals and their affiliates may hold up to 15 percent of voting shares; corporate bodies up to 25 percent; and holding companies up to 35 percent. Cross-ownership in multiple banks is restricted to 15 percent. Applicants must present a detailed five-year business plan covering digital services, target segments, profitability projections, and a financial inclusion strategy. The plan must outline IT architecture, cybersecurity readiness, and disaster recovery procedures. Digital banks are expected to adopt modern technologies such as AI, open banking, blockchain, and cloud computing. Omanisation targets start at 50 percent and rise to 90 percent by Year 5. The CBO mandates the submission of an exit plan alongside the license application. It must define conditions under which the bank would voluntarily cease operations, such as capital or profitability deterioration. The plan should address customer protection, risk triggers, and exit funding without regulatory assistance. Licensed digital banks must comply with the Banking Law 02/2025, National Payment Systems Law 08/2018, and AML Law 30/2016. They are also subject to digital onboarding rules, cybersecurity frameworks, consumer protection regulations, and fraud prevention protocols. The CBO may require independent technical assessments at the applicant's expense. Non-compliance could trigger enforcement measures, including license revocation. The CBO reserves the right to reject incomplete applications or withdraw approvals if information is found to be inaccurate.
