Muscat – The Ministry of Social Development on Monday launched the first package of the ministry’s digital transformation project, which includes social security services and social aid along with 20 other e-services.

H E Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, said that launching the first package of social security services and social assistance electronically is very important in light of a large number of services provided by the ministry to citizens.

She said that the ministry is keen that the services reach the citizens in order to reduce the burden on the auditors of the departments or directorates, whereby social aid requests will be submitted through the ministry’s portal. It also allows following up on the requests through the use of computers or mobile phones.

H E Dr Laila revealed that the ministry is looking forward to launching another package of services related to the field of social protection and persons with disabilities.

For her part, Ahlam bint Abdullah al Toobia, director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Social Development, said that the launch of the package comes within the strategic plan for digital transformation to keep pace with Oman’s direction in improving the quality of government services and ways to provide them in accordance with specific controls, standards and stages of time to ensure integration with various government institutions.

She added that the social welfare sector was chosen to be the first sector as it serves a wide segment of citizens, and according to the latest statistics, the number of social security cases reached 72,786. “The ministry has managed over the past years to develop the ‘Takaful’ system, which contains a number of internal electronic systems to facilitate work procedures within the ministry’s divisions.”