Shipping outfit to provide jobs

Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, said this week that his ministry will focus on developing the transport sector to make it attractive for the Omani youth.
The minister was speaking at the Ramadan evening lecture being organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said that the Oman Shipping Company (OSC) had decided to establish a small company affiliated to it to manage their vessels. The company, which has attracted many Omanis for employment, now manages 25 vessels out of the 41 owned by the company.
He added that Duqm Port has achieved 80 per cent Omanisation rate by employing 58 persons in managing the 'in and out' movement of the vessels.
He announced that the ministry was about to conclude an agreement with the World Bank for restructuring the transport sector in the Sultanate. He added that the general trend was to establish a specialised organisation for the regularisation of the transport sector. It will develop the bylaws and regulations and will introduce reforms and issue violations.
As for smuggling of diesel, he said it was being done not only through the land route but also by boats. He pointed out that the Council of Ministers had set up a joint committee of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Royal Oman Police (ROP) to find a solution to this problem.
Track for trucks
As for the proposal to construct special roads for trucks, he pointed out that the ministry is studying the traffic flow from Thumrait to Salalah Port, which witness heavy truck traffic. The construction of these roads will be in addition to the existing roads. The government is planning to dedicate a lane at the Al Batinah Express Road for trucks, since constructing a separate road for trucks only was very costly.
As for the railway project, he pointed out that it will be a driver for the Sultanate's economic growth. He added that the first tender for the initial design has been awarded.  Some changes were made to ensure that the project remains commercially feasible. He added that one new idea was to connect Salalah and Duqm through Ibri. The consultant will decide the appropriate course of action.
The government also plans to organise a seminar next September to highlight the investment opportunities that may be generated by the railway project and how to train the Omani youth to work in this project.
Meanwhile, Faisal bin Khamis Al Hashar, the head of the Transport and Communications Committee, also presented a working paper on the qualified cadre for a leading sector, featuring recommendations of the joint committee for Omanisation for the transport and communications sector.
He pointed out that the committee aimed at developing plans and strategies for employing national manpower and providing them with training opportunities to ensure sustainable
development.
He pointed out that the total number of workers in the transport sector now stood at 31,592 and that rate of Omanisation was 25.7 per cent. The number of workers in the communications sector was 4,087 with more than 90 per cent Omanisation. The number of workers in the IT sector stood at 5,050 with 21.3 per cent Omanisation.
Source: Times of Oman