"Balady Muscat" endorses the recommendations of bulk labor and approves the establishment of Misfat Bouchar Plant on certain conditions
• Al-Badi : The total foreign labor in Muscat is 688867. Arresting 2267 foreign workers in Muscat during the first quarter of the current year in addition to other 8810 workers last year.
• Amendments to the first draft concerning the establishment of a council for children. .
By Ibrahim Al-Hassani
Photos By Soluiman Al-Khasibi
The Municipal Council held its fourth meeting of the second year on Monday under the chairmanship of HE Eng. Mohsen bin Mohammed bin Ali Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of Muscat Municipality and Chairman of the Board. The Council was briefed on the statement of the General Directorate of Labor Care of the Ministry of Manpower as Salim Bin Saeed Al Badi, the Director General of Labor Care, explained that the Ministry of Manpower, represented by the Labor Inspection Authority, is working to organize the labor market. The inspection teams joint work with Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the security services managed to find 8810 illegal workers in violation of the provisions of labor law in Muscat Governorate during the past year through a series of inspection campaigns carried out by the labor inspectors of the Ministry in accordance with a plan that targeted job sites, residential communities and dwellings of violative labor and illegal workers.
During the first quarter of this year, 2267 illegal foreign workers in Muscat were arrested, with 248 workers in March and other 460 in February. In January, 458 foreign workers working in different fields such as farms, technical workshops, domestic employment, goods transport, fishing, selling vegetables and fruits were arrested.
The total inspection visits to Muscat in the last year, 2013, were 2545 comprehensive visits. The joint inspection in the same year resulted in arresting 446 workers working in the field of passenger and cargo transport, other 354 workers working in vehicle cleaning, particularly in the parking spaces of the shopping centers as well as 221 hawkers selling in public roads.
The total number of foreign labor force in Muscat Governorate is 688867 with 621495 working in the commercial field, and 67372 working in the private sector.
The Director General of Labor Care pointed out the Ministry`s continual efforts and cooperation with all members and various institutions of society and its in the elimination of the illegal work phenomenon, whether through the work plan set for this purpose or the communications that it receives via the call center or those received directly by the competent departments and the continuity of the inspection campaigns and finding appropriate solutions to reduce this phenomenon.
Salem Al Badi pointed out that among the objectives of Labor Care is making sure that the private sector enterprises are applying the provisions of the labor law, providing information and advice to employers and workers regarding the commitment to the legal code, making sure of applying the provisions regulating safety measures and occupational health, regulating the formation of trade unions, regulating the relationship between employers and workers, settling labor disputes, conducting labor education to raise the level of their productivity at work, and providing information that would help develop labor legislation.
Al Badi, the Director General of Labor Care, appealed all not to allow workers to be accommodated or employed illegally, and employers to supervise their facilities, stressing the need to implement the labor law and ministerial decisions.
He also emphasized the security, social, economic and health consequences of workers violating the laws that regulate work. Members interacted by discussing the presentation and making inquiries about labor issues.
The Municipal Council discussed the recommendations of its committees, as the committee of Health Social and Environmental affairs presented its recommendation on the pollution caused by industrial activities in Al-Amerat State and its harmful effects on the nearby residential complexes..
The Council also discussed the recommendations of the Public Affairs Committee on the proposed subject of bachelor labor housing in residential neighborhoods, and the Committee recommended making some amendments to the legal provisions.
The Council referred the subject of schematic pockets in Al-Sifah region in Muscat to both the Committee of the Municipal Affairs in the State and the Technical Affairs in Muscat Municipality for consulting their opinion and taking their remarks. The Council also discussed the amendments contained in the recommendation of the Legal Affairs Committee concerning the texts of the legislative mechanism issued by the Municipal Council.
Made by the team in charge of the study, the Council read the first draft concerning the establishment of a municipal council for children in Muscat Governorate. The draft contained the Council`s vision, objectives, the number of its members, membership conditions, work regulations, terms of reference, mechanism of elections and student management group. The Committee recommended to make some amendments to the first draft and submit it to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of social Development to express their views.
The Council reviewed a number of proposals presented by Members on preventing the sale of smoking and non-smoking tobacco, taking advantage of the residual foods in restaurants and cafes, making amendments of the requirements needed for granting and renewing licenses for shisha (hoka) cafes, and putting forward a proposal on banning smoking in enclosed public places.
The Phenomenon of Infiltrators and Bulk Labor
The Council endorsed the recommendations of the study team of the phenomenon of infiltrators and bulk labors in Muscat, and agreed on the following: First: Addressing HE the Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court with the recommendations that the team conducting the study of infiltrators and bulk employment in Muscat Governorate produced; they came as follows:
1. Forming a legal team from the competent authorities (Ministry of Manpower, Public Prosecution, and the Royal Oman Police, Muscat Municipality), meant to review ((the provisions governing the relationship between the owners and tenants of residences and commercial and industrial facilities, and register their respective leases own as stipulated in the Royal Decree No. (6/89), as amended, and the Foreigners Residence Law No. (16/95), as amended, and the Local Decision No. (23/92) concerning the regulation of buildings Muscat, as amended, and the Oman Labor Law, as amended)), and making the necessary amendments to reduce the phenomenon of infiltrating workers and bulk employment. .
2. Reinforcing the inspection team, which falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Manpower, and works jointly with the Royal Oman Police through adding Muscat Municipality to this team, in addition to forming sub-teams in each of the Governorates` states of the, and laying out controls that determine the performance of their work.The affliate should also provide all the tools they need for carrying out their duties, including transportation and communication devices.
3. The importance of intensifying supervisions conducted by the competent authorities to observe the conditions of granting work permits and leases, and continuous inspection in residential neighborhoods populated by workers in particular, as well as intensifying supervisions on the side of employees in charge of the implementation of laws.
4. Providing a database and information on the infiltrating workers to facilitate the search process and data collection when needed.
5. Working on the immediate completion of the procedures of deporting the illegal workers by the competent authorities as soon as they are arrested through the Ministry of Manpower. .
6. The Ministry of Manpower is to consider adding a text to the Omani Labor Law that criminalizes the escape of a worker from his sponsor and preserves sponsor`s right in this regard. .
7. Exerting more security efforts, intensifying raids, tightening procedures against illegal workers, monitoring leases to ensure that they are not subleased, and adopting a zero tolerance policy with any citizen trying to help or take advantage of them.
8. Reinforcing the efforts exerted by Royal Oman Police, and raising their capabilities in surveillance and security checks at land and sea borders of the Sultanate. .
9. Increasing legal awareness of this phenomenon via the media, and demonstrating its dangers and disadvantages to the society, and economy of the state, and the criminal liability arising from employing, accommodating or not reporting such workers, as well as urging the community to contribute to the eradication of this phenomenon through various media SMS, and direct meetings such as lectures. It is to be taken into account that these demonstrations should have an explicit content in order not stir up the public opinion. Enlightening the community of the dangers of this phenomenon by introducing a package of awareness programs on the visual, print and audio media. .
10. The participation of the concerned associations as well as Association of Journalists in the media campaign to guide their pens to tackle this phenomenon in their writings and column releases, concentration on the positive role of the citizen, and association the civil society in this campaign and urging them to cooperate with government institutions and the groups in charge of combating this phenomenon .
11. Benefiting from the findings of the field study sponsored by the Ministry of Social Development on (The social and economic impacts of foreign labor on the Omani society), which will be completed in 2014. .
12. The importance of regulating the labor market with respect to businesses practiced on daily basis that touch the needs of the citizens and residents such as repairing some failures, maintaining houses, or transferring furniture, through establishing companies concerned with providing simple works. The management of these companies is to be assigned to small and medium-sized foundations in coordination with Al-Raffd Fund .
13. Reviewing the mechanism of dealing with the foreign recruitment offices that employ labors such as home maids, and how to deal with the cases where they escape, and finding appropriate solutions to ensure their steadiness with the sponsor .
14. The importance of supporting Muscat Municipality, the Ministry of Manpower, the ROP by the General Directorates. through providing career cadres that are related to the field of inspection and allocating a financial budget that enables them to carry out the necessary inspections of the cases of violation. .
15. The importance of allocating areas for residency camps with all the necessary services for workers in the industrial areas in all states. .
16. Benefiting from the experiences of the other countries that preceded the Sultanate in combating this phenomenon while taking in account the singularity of the Sultanate. .
17. Increasing coordination with the neighboring countries to find appropriate controls that limit the of infiltration of their citizens or nationals into the land of the Sultanate..
18. The importance of giving the personnel concerned with conducting surveys at the Ministry of Housing the authority of judicial arrest, to arrest the bulk, infiltrating and fleeing labor while they are conducting surveys in border and old areas that are considered hotbeds for labor coming from outside Oman or the states. .
19. The need for the availability of official statistics on the number of violative and illegal cases in the Sultanate.
20. Not allowing housing contractors to accommodate foreign workers in the buildings under construction in residential neighborhoods, and linkin the grant of a construction permit to the contractor only after he pledges to abide by the above, except in cases of non-availability of the designated areas for the accommodation of workers in Muscat.
Groundwater in Al-Ansab
The Council also endorsed in its meeting yesterday the recommendations of the Affairs Committee concerning the groundwater that appeared in the area Ansab (Phase II) The Council agreed to the following: First : Addressing the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources with the following :
1. Speeding Up with presenting a short-term plan for Al-Ansab region (Phase II) by drilling and distributing wells throughout the region; for use of establishing projects, afforestation, and serving the people of the region .
2. Adding a member from the Ministry of Housing and another one from the Office of the Governor of Bouchar to the team consisting of : (Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, the Municipality of Muscat, and the Public Authority for Electricity and Water) pursuant to the Administrative Decision No. (11/2014 m) on Rabi` al-awwal 21,1435Corresponding to January 23, 2014, issued by the Minister of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, and informing the Council with its findings; to address the problem of groundwater leakage in the Al-Ansab region, Phase II.
3. Developing a long-term plan manifested in conducting a consultancy study, and a biological survey of Al-Ansab Region (Phase II), one which is assigned to Bait Khebra and supervised by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources by virtue of its specialization in this field. .
Second : Commissioning Muscat Municipality (The General Directorate of Muscat Municipality in Bauchar) with the following:
1. Taking the necessary measures to maintain the public cleanliness of the area by removing weeds, spraying pesticide to eliminate insects and reptiles (periodically).
2. Working on filling swamps, and suction of the accumulated water (periodically).
Water treatment plant in Al-Misfat area in Baucher
The Council also endorsed the project of water treatment plant in Misfat area in the state of Bauchar, and approved the following: First: Addressing the Oman Wastewater Services (Haya Water) to approve the implementation of the water treatment plant project in Al-Misfat area in Bauchar state, and emphasizing the following:
1. Emphasizing what was stated in the letter of the CEO Engineer of Oman Wastewater Services (Haya Water) No. (46/2014 m) on Rabi` al-thani 20 H.1435 corresponding to February 20, 2014 about the procedures to be followed in the implementation of the project of wastewater plant in Misfat in Bauchar initiated, in terms of following up the absence of any negative impacts on human health, ensuring that the plant does not produce emissions in the periphery or odors contaminating the air and harmful to humans and the environment when operating, and pledging to stop the project in cases of violation of the above.
2. The company should be committed to placing the wastewater tanks within the scope of the plant, and to design aromatherapy controllers according to the latest findings of modern science, provided that they do not fall within the compensatory schemes developed for the residents of Al-Misfat. .
3. The company should be committed to the social responsibility through providing some projects to the residents of Al-Misfat, which contributes to providing the community with the needed services such as building a mosque, public council for citizens, playground for youth as well as other financial and in-kind contributions.
Endorsing the statement of the General Directorate of Education
The Municipal Council has approved the second Council meeting of the second year for the first period. The meeting witnessed approving the statement of the General Directorate of Education in Muscat, praising the efforts of the Directorate, and a request of one of the officials of the ministry to inform the Council of the most important challenges facing the Ministry of Education and the solutions it suggests for the development of the educational process throughout the Sultanate, and the need to develop controls for the selection process of teachers through the development of a professional license system for teachers, and study the idea of reducing the age limit of a student transfer buses, from 15 years to 10 years; due to the dangers they may entail for students if the bus is timeworn. This can be implemented gradually. There should be controls on the competition for student transportation by bus, to enable all citizens to engage in those tenders equally for all whether they are individuals or companies. Second : Considering the idea of establishing halls or rests for students who attend the first period so that they can be used during the time-out for having the school meal. .
Third: Assigning the committees of Municipal Affairs the following::Enlightening parents of the importance of guiding their children to have good discipline while boarding school buses in order to avoid quarrels or crowdedness. .
2. Studying the proposal of taking advantage of school facilities, such as playgrounds, in the evening period, to occupy students` free time, by practising some sports activities, tackling some negative phenomena, on condition that they develop practical controls to maintain the school facilities. It is equally important to focus on spreading literacy in the community through opening adult literacy and education centers that are near to the residential neighborhoods in order to reduce illiteracy in the community. It is necessary to provide all financial means to achieve this goal in collaboration with the community.
Designating beach sessions for the elderly
In its second meeting, the Council approved the recommendation of the Committee of Health, Social and Environmental Affairs on designating beach sessions for the elderly at some of the tourist sites as follows:
First: Addressing the Ministry of Social Development to provide the council with statistics and data available to them about the numbers of the elderly and the services provided to them by the ministry, and the relevant authorities associated with them, in addition to a number of public councils (Al-Sabl), and the Omani Women`s Associations in Muscat.
Second: Addressing the Ministry of Health to provide the Municipal Council with data about the care provided to the elderly and the cases that come to the hospital with respect aging.
Third: Commissioning to members of the Committee of Health, Social and Environmental Affairs with holding a meeting for doing brainstorming in the presence of specialists from the Public Authority for Radio and Television, the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Sports Affairs, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Public Authority for Craft Industries, and the Sultan Qaboos University, the Omani Association for the Friends of the elderly, activists and journalists interested in the Elderly. The meeting is to be held at in a public council or an Omani women`s association to come up with a summary of programs and services needed for the elderly. Fourth:Commissioning Dr Fatima bint Mohammed bin Baqir Alagamiah (Member of the Council - representative of the Ministry of Health) to prepare a work paper containing the mechanism to be followed when conducting brainstorming, and procedural steps that come next. Fifth: the Committee of Health, Social and Environmental Affairs submits a summary of its discussion sessions to the Municipal Council after being formulated in accordance with direct and clear implementation mechanisms that meet all the aspirations and requirements that serve the elderly.