Competence Programme for Manufacturing launched

Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion on Sunday launched the first phase of the Kafaah (competence) Programme for Manufacturing. This initiative is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop the industrial sector and enhance its readiness for the requirements of smart manufacturing and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

It aims to improve the efficiency of operational and production processes, strengthen the competitiveness of Omani industry, and achieve the targets set out in Oman Vision 2040 and the National Industrial Strategy.

The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of Eng. Ghalib Said Al Ma’amari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry.

The programme is the outcome of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion; Petroleum Development Oman (PDO); and the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates – Madayn. Its objective is to enable national factories to adopt global best practices in operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

During the launch ceremony, project agreements were signed with nine participating companies and factories.

This initial phase represents a key milestone in the programme, as each participating factory commits to implementing a hands-on project focused on applying the Lean Six Sigma methodology. This serves as a prerequisite for entry into the qualifying workshop and for obtaining Green Belt certification.

The programme is centred on reducing waste, lowering operational costs, improving product quality by minimising delays and errors in production lines, developing national competencies, equipping them with continuous improvement skills, and enhancing in-country value (ICV) by increasing supply chain efficiency and localising manufacturing processes.

The ceremony also included an introductory presentation on the programme. In its first phase, the programme targets eligible factories across a number of promising industrial sectors. The projects implemented under the programme are expected to generate financial savings exceeding OMR350,000 annually for the participating factories, through the execution of specialised improvement projects supervised by certified experts and specialists.

The ceremony was attended by a number of officials from both the government and private sectors.