His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik presided over a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Cabinet’s premises in Muscat on Tuesday.

At the outset of the meeting, His Majesty the Sultan gave thanks and praise to Almighty Allah for the bounties He has bestowed on Oman and its noble people. He prayed that these bounties be eternalised for all people in Oman and that the coronavirus pandemic be lifted from all humanity.

His Majesty the Sultan then reviewed the local and regional situation. He said that the issue of employment of Omani jobseekers tops the government’s priorities, and underscored the significance of exerting maximum efforts to help the unemployed find jobs or professions across different sectors. 

In this context, His Majesty the Sultan laid emphasis on the integration of efforts of state departments, exhorting them to cooperate for concrete results and enabling youth to contribute to the march of development and nation building.

His Majesty the Sultan commended the package of initiatives unveiled recently to provide employment opportunities for jobseekers. His Majesty the Sultan blessed the launch of the National Employment Programme (NEP), which stems from Oman Vision 2040, as it is accorded continuous attention. The NEP targets the development of sustainable solutions for the issue of employment in all state sectors (civil, military and security), as well as private sector companies.

The NEP analyses data of jobseekers on a regular basis till they join the labour market. It also seeks other options to fill the gap of knowledge and skills needed by the labour market so that the unemployed immediately get jobs when they are available.

The NEP is implemented in accordance with a specific executive plan and timeframe linked to performance indicators that are monitored on a regular basis to ensure the fulfillment of the desired goals.

His Majesty the Sultan gave directives to the departments concerned to empower NEP and provide all means of support to the programme so that it can achieve its objectives.

In the context of His Majesty’s Royal Attention to develop education, upgrade the quality of school education and adapt to the needs of the labour market in accordance with Oman Vision 2040, His Majesty the Sultan underlined the importance of accelerating procedures necessary for analysing the requirements of technical and vocational education for the post-basic education stage to fit labour market needs. His Majesty the Sultan stressed the importance of devising a comprehensive plan to realise this objective and determine the expertise and human resources required to achieve it.

His Majesty the Sultan pointed out that the next stage requires the collaboration of efforts of all state institutions towards rendering top quality services and eliminating any obstacles that might impede the march of comprehensive development. This involves the formulation of a new, efficient mechanism of action to ensure the smooth operation of all sectors, to refine and accelerate output, His Majesty said.

His Majesty the Sultan also commended the efforts made to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. He thanked all health workers and expressed his appreciation for their valuable contribution to curb the pandemic.

His Majesty the Sultan also stressed the significance of pressing ahead with the national immunisation campaign and the importance of raising the awareness of citizens and residents about commitment to adhere to measures set by the departments concerned in this respect.

Speaking about regional issues, His Majesty the Sultan laid emphasis on the continuation of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s economic cooperation programmes. He also reaffirmed the sultanate’s permanent stance and principles advocating rapprochement among countries to achieve security and establish stability for all.