Pakistan, Oman to fast-track MoU for labour, manpower exchange

Pakistan and Oman have agreed to accelerate the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on labour and manpower exchange, which aims to enhance the flow of Pakistan's workforce to Oman.

This agreement will facilitate smoother movement and create better opportunities for Pakistani workers in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula nation.

The decision was made during a meeting in Muscat between Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain and the Minister of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman, Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain.

Salik is on a three-day visit to Oman, during which he will meet with various Omani ministers and inaugurate a new branch of the Pakistan International School in Muscat.

During the meeting, the minister apprised the Omani side of the major reforms the Pakistani government is undertaking to improve the emigration process of workers, their professional capacity enhancement and the marketing of the Pakistani workforce abroad, read a press release issued today.

He said that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis is upgrading the technical training centres in the country on modern lines which would train the workforce according to the certification requirements of specific country or region.

Oman is the third largest employer of Pakistani workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and approximately 360,000 Pakistanis are working in Oman.

Pakistan receives more than $1 bn in remittances every year from Oman and the Pakistani diaspora contributes greatly to the country's foreign exchange.

Most of the Pakistanis are employed in the construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, logistics, wholesale and retail trade sectors.

Pakistanis are working in the healthcare, teaching, hospitality, banking and IT sectors as well.

Salik informed that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis is going to start a compulsory pre-departure orientation programme for all the workers going abroad which would educate them about the labour laws of the host country, workers' rights and duties, cultural sensitivities of the host country and reprieve mechanism in case of any eventuality during ones stay abroad.

He also offered the Omani government to send well-trained human resources from Pakistan through the government-owned Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) which maintains a database of over 500,000 Pakistanis in different fields.

Dr Mahad said that Pakistan and Oman enjoy very cordial relations and Pakistanis are contributing to the development of Oman.

He added Pakistanis are very skilled workers and work in a vast variety of fields.

He expressed the commitment of his government to streamline the process of migration of workers to Oman and remove any irritants thereof.

Salik invited his counterpart to Pakistan to see the technical training facilities and possible collaboration in training in the future.

He also proposed the possibility of Oman investing in skill development centres in Pakistan, focusing on training workers according to the demands of the Omani market.

The two sides also agreed to enhance official engagements between the two countries.