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State Council Chairman expresses his gratitude for the High attention and praised the Supreme Committee for the anti- COVID efforts

• The proposal to study the impact of Corona on the Omani economy approved
• Report of  joint committee with Majlis A’Shura on the Draft law for combatting hidden trade approved 

The State Council today approved the proposal of the Economic Committee’s desire to study “the stability of the Omani economy in light of the decline in oil prices and the Covid-19 pandemic” after taking into account the observations of the honorable Council members.  The articles bearing disagreement relating to the Draft Law against hidden trade was within the purview of discussions at the seventh Ordinary Sitting of the first annual session of the seventh term, chaired by HE.Dr.Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al-Manthri, Chairman of the State Council, in the presence of honorable Council members and the Secretary-General of the Council. 

The Council Chairman at the start of the sitting, extolled the efforts of the Supreme Committee in charge of discussing the mechanism for dealing with developments resulting from the Corona Virus pandemic (Covid 19). In this regard he noted  the high Royal interest of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said - May God protect him  and preserve him– as he presided over several meetings of the Supreme Committee and followed up on the developments.

The Council Chairman said in praise of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, “May God be pleased with him - for the efforts exerted by health sector, security, military, volunteers and media and all sectors. We pay tribute and appreciation for their role in national action in bearing responsibility in pursuit of the desired return to normal life. We pray to the Almighty to bestow His Majesty with good health and long life and grant Oman care and protection and eliminate its misfortune.”

While concluding his speech, HE.Dr.Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al-Manthri indicated that the sitting would be devoted to discussions on various proposals submitted by the Council’s standing committees. He added that it will also discuss and approve the “Draft Budget for the Council for 2021” and review the response of the Council of Ministers to the proposals submitted by the Council, in addition to the reports submitted by honorable members and the General Secretariat on the Council work and activities.

Following that, the Council discussed the proposal submitted by the Economic Committee on the study of “the stability of the Omani economy in light of the decline in oil prices and the pandemic of Covid-19”. Relating to this, Hon.Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Harthy, Head of the Economic Committee, explained that the committee considered the importance of studying the effects and challenges posed by the Coved- 19 crisis and the declining oil prices on the Omani economy. 

He added that focus was placed on the challenges of the macro framework, exchanging of views with the  public and private sector to derive an integrated vision within the framework of the tasks of the State Council as stipulated by the Basic Statute of the State, especially with regard to budgets and five-year plans, and to suggest amendments to Laws. The Council approved the study of the proposal, taking after into account the comments of its members.

In addition, the Council discussed the report of the joint committee between the State Council and Majlis A’Shura regarding the articles bearing disagreement relating to the “Draft law for combatting hidden trade" and it received the Council’s approval. Both councils acceded to keep the Articles (4, 10, 13 and 14) unchanged and as contained in the draft referred by the Council of Ministers.

The draft Budget for the Council for the year 2021 was discussed and approved, and the Council took note of the referral of the draft law on “protection of personal data” referred by the Council of Ministers to the Legal Committee for its study.

The Council was briefed about the Council of Ministers’ response to the proposals submitted by the Council, namely: the promotion of mineral wealth and language policy in the Sultanate, its reality, challenges, and mechanism for developing and activating it, regulation of usage of biotechnology and its products, and protecting genetic data in the Sultanate, and the impact of the current crisis on the Omani economy.

The Council also reviewed several reports submitted by the honorable Council members, in addition to reviewing of the General Secretariat report about the Council activities for the period between the previous sitting and the present sitting.