Planning panel takes stock of the economy

The Council reviewed the performance of the Omani economy and indicators of GDP, inflation rates and performance of the Muscat Securities Market in light of the continued decline in global oil prices

MUSCAT: A meeting of the Supreme Council for Planning held yesterday reviewed a gamut of issues related to the economy including the challenges and measures to tackle them.

The review came at the second meeting of the Council this year held under the chair of Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning.

The Council reviewed the performance of the Omani economy and indicators of GDP, inflation rates and performance of the Muscat Securities Market in light of the continued decline in international oil prices and their impact on the financial situation of the Sultanate.

Executive measures

The Council discussed the executive measures taken for the strategic projects adopted by the Council and ways to address the challenges facing the implementation of some of these projects and the available alternatives of financing.

The Council reviewed the measures taken by government agencies concerned with the implementation of the recommendations of the World Bank on boosting the growth of the private sector, stressing the acceleration of implementation of these recommendations.

Urban planning

The Council discussed the status of urban planning in the Sultanate and the stage reached by the national strategy for urban development at the governorate level.

The Council reviewed the alternatives of freehold ownership in the real estate market in the Sultanate in order to increase the pace of urban activity and attract capital and investors from inside and outside the Sultanate.

e-Government

The Council reviewed the executive position of the e-Government transformation programme and the steps taken by government agencies in this regard. The Council affirmed the completion of the implementation of this project to enhance performance in the government sector and facilitate the procedures of providing services to the beneficiaries with high efficiency, in addition to discussing a number of other topics and taking appropriate decisions.