Committee to look into 25,000 jobs for citizens: Minister

Muscat: Majlis Ash’shura discussed the statement of Darwish bin Ismaeel al Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, on the state’s draft budget for the fiscal year 2018.

The questions of Majlis Ash’shura focused on the state revenues, expenditure estimates, the economic growth rate, the financial status of the government, fiscal and monetary policies, subsidies, public debt and the expected oil production and prices during next year. They also inquired about the plan to employ 25,000 Omani job seekers as part of the His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s government decision to give more jobs for Omanis in the public and private organisations in the Sultanate. Al Balushi said a committee from the relevant public organisations has been formed to create 25,000 jobs in public and private organisations.

The minister provided a detailed explanation of the state draft budget, its items, themes, the mechanisms for fusing certain public projects in cooperation with the private sector to ensure public interests and activate the role of the private sector.

He also touched on the plans to restructure some public companies. The session was chaired by Shaikh Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Ash’Shura.