Sunday 17 / November / 2024
Muscat: Omanis will now be able to keep up to date with Majlis Al Shura (Shura Council) and provide feedback and queries by using a newly launched service called ‘Shura Whatsapp’.
Citizens can follow the Shura Council’s latest news and will have an opportunity to provide suggestions, opinions and ask questions about the council’s activities, for which they will receive a reply in the appropriate amount of time.
The service came after the Shura council completed their first annual meeting for the eighth session 2015/16 this year.
“The Shura’s social media accounts play an important role in involving the Shura with the public by considering their suggestions and opinions and transfer them to the Shura committees or the members through different social media channels such as Whatsapp, by which all members are a part of, to keep them updated with public suggestions and trend on social media,” said Sheikh Ali Al Mahrouqi, Secretary General of Majlis Al Shura.
“In addition to that, the media department in the Shura has the sole role to raise awareness about parliamentary culture through various reports and publications. It will ensure that the Shura’s work is known and their achievements acknowledged,” he added.
Nationals are asked to send the word ‘subscription’ in Arabic (اشتراك) to 91117000 on Whatsapp to get the latest news and offer feedback and suggestions to the Shura Council.
The first annual meeting for the eighth session saw Shura members welcome various ministers to discuss their plans as well as enquire, send feedback and provides suggestions to better develop the country and its people.
During the meeting, members of the Shura council met with H.E. the Minister of Tourism to discuss his ministry’s report about the development and economic strategy and Omani tourism location on the economic and societal development map.
Shura members also suggested to the minister to focus on internal tourism and promote true Omani culture to attract tourism as well as provide all the basic facilities in tourism locations in all wilayats and governorates of Oman.
Shura members also requested to ease the process for investors in the tourism sector.
The Shura council also met with H.E the Minister of Health and voiced the necessity of improving the health sector in all aspects including establishments. They also suggested that any medical projects should be delayed and discussed about the lack of medical staff and the quality of drugs including the basis as to why it has been chosen. Members of the Shura Council also requested a study to find out the reasons behind several Omanis to consider treatment abroad.
The Minister of Education was also put under the microscope as the Shura Council raised questions about the reasons for the lack of female graduates in the Sultanate according to international reports while considering that the ministry spent large sums of money for the education sector, strategies and plans that the ministry of education had prepared.
Shura Studies Approved
The Shura Council approved nine studies that have been sent to the State Council for further approval from their side.
Of the highlighted studies is the challenges in Omanisation of leadership and supervisory positions in the private sector where it is suggested that the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Manpower and government establishments should cooperate with the private sector and identify the problems that have been voiced without offering solutions regarding graduates and the job market.
Another study that is approved is promoting sports activities for the disabled. The study suggests that the rehabilitation of the disabled laws should be looked over and amended to promote this activity. They have also approved a study to create an umbrella which supervises disabled sports in one association or a special union which also supervises the Omani Olympic Committee and the Omani Paralympics Committee.
The Shura Council had also approved a study to raise the quality of education in private schools in the Sultanate including granting them total independence with regards to administrative decisions. They have also suggested that a new law for private education should be issued as well as reviewing the curriculum.
Appointing an official spokesperson for government institutions is a study that had also been approved where government authorities, companies, establishments and institutions must appoint a spokesperson for media inquiries. The spokesperson should be given full authority to talk to media outlets without having to wait for prior approval from the superiors.
