Royal Decrees appoint new ministers

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos on Monday issued 10 Royal Decrees.
Royal Decree No 63/2019 on the establishment of Ministry of Technology and Communications.
Article 1 sets up a ministry under the name of ‘Ministry of Technology and Communications’ whose prerogatives shall be defined and organisational structure shall be approved by Royal Decree.
Article 2 states that all powers, prerogatives, allocations and assets of the Information Technology Authority (ITA) shall be transferred to the Ministry of Technology and Communications. It also states that specialisations of relevance to telecom policies and legislations at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, as well as specialisations and allocations of technology programmes affiliated to the Technical Committee tasked with localising the 4th Industrial Revolution’s techniques, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shall be transferred to the Ministry of Technology and Communications.
Article 3 of the Decree stipulates that employees of the ITA shall be transferred to the Ministry of Technology and Communications, along with their job status and financial allocations, and that the respective employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Transport and Communications shall be to the Ministry of Technology and Communications in accordance with regulations of a decision to be issued by the Minister of Technology and Telecommunications through agreement with the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Transport and Communications, each within the scope of his
discretion.

Article 4 cancels all that contradicts this Decree or contravenes its provisions.
Article 5 says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced with effect from the date of issue.
Royal Decree No 64/2019 on the amendment of the name of Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Article 1 amends the name of Ministry of Transport and Communications to be the ‘Ministry of Transport’.
Article 2 cancels all that contradicts this Decree or contravenes its provisions.
Article 3 says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced with effect from its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 65/2019 on the establishment of Ministry of Arts Affairs.
Article 1 sets up a ministry under the name of ‘Ministry of Arts Affairs’, whose prerogatives shall be defined and organisational structure shall be approved by Royal Decree.
Article 2 states that the specialisations and allocations of the Directorate General of Arts Affairs (Ministry of Heritage and Culture) shall be transferred to the Ministry of Arts Affairs. It also states that the specialisations and allocations of “Oman Society for Fine Arts”, “Oman Lute Amateur Society” and “Oman Photographic Association”, affiliated to the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Sciences, shall be transferred to the Ministry of Arts Affairs.
Article 3 transfers to the Ministry of Arts Affairs the employees of the Directorate General of Arts (Ministry of Heritage and Culture), Omani Society for Fine Arts, Oman Lute Amateur Society and Oman Photographic Association, all along with their job status and financial allocations.
Article 4 cancels all that contradicts this Decree or contravenes its provisions.
Article 5 says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced with effect from its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 66/2019 establishes the “Tax Institution”.
Article 1 sets up an institution to be named “Tax Institution” that will have its own legal identity and shall enjoy financial and administrative autonomy. It states that the Tax Institution shall report to (be affiliated to) the Council of Ministers.
Article 2 states that a Royal Decree shall issue the Bylaw of the Tax Institution and that it shall approve its organisational structure.
Article 3 transfers to the Tax Institution all the specialisations, powers, prerogatives, allocations and assets of the Secretariat General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance.
Article 4 transfers to the Tax Institution employees of the Secretariat General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance, along with their existing job status and financial allocations.
Article 5 states that the Head of the Tax Institution shall be a member of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council.
Article 6 stipulates that the phrases “Secretariat General of Taxes” and “Secretary General of Taxes”, wherever they recur in current laws and Royal Decrees, shall be replaced by “Tax Institution” and “Head of Tax Institution”.
Article 7 cancels all that contradicts this Decree or contravenes its provisions.
Article 8 says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced with effect from its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 67/2019 on the initiation of the post of “Minister of State and Governor of Musandam” and the amendment of Royal Decree No 114/2011 on approving the Administrative Structure of the Sultanate and regulating the work of governors Article 1 initiates a post under the name of “Minister of State and Governor of Musandam” Article 2 states that the Office of Minister of State and Governor of Musandam shall be established and that a Royal Decree shall define the Office’s prerogatives and approve its organisational structure.
Article 3 stipulates that the text of Article 2 and Article 3 of the aforementioned Royal Decree No 114/2011 shall be replaced with the following two Articles: Article 2 states that a Royal Decree shall be issued on the appointment of a Governor, and that the Governors shall report to the Minister of Interior, except the Governors of Muscat, Dhofar and Musandam.
Article 3 states that with the exception of governors of Muscat, Dhofar and Musandam the prerogatives/specialisations of a governor shall be in accordance with Annex 2 attached to this Decree.
Article 4 cancels all that contradicts this decree or contravenes its provisions.
Article 5 says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced with effect from its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 68/2019 introduces an amendment to the structure of the Council of Ministers.
Article (1) appoints Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim al Futaisi as Minister of Transport.
Article (2) appoints Eng Azza bint Sulaiman bin Said al Ismailiya as Minister of Technology and Communications.
Article (3) appoints Dr Suad bint Mohammed bin Ali al Lawatia as Minister of Arts Affairs.
Article (4) appoints Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said al Busaidy as Minister of State and Governor of Musandam.
Article (5) states that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 69/2019 on the appointment of Adviser at the Diwan of Royal Court.
Article (1) appoints Muhsin bin Mohammed bin Ali al Shaikh as Adviser at the Diwan of Royal Court, along with his existing Grade and financial allocations.
Article (2) says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 70/ 2019 on the appointment of Head of Tax Institution.
Article (1) appoints Sultan bin Salim bin Said al-Habsi (Deputy Chairman of Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Oman) as Head of the Tax Institution, along with his current Grade and financial allocations.
Article (2) says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.
Royal Decree No 71/2019 on the appointment of Chairman of Muscat Municipality.
Article (1) appoints Eng Issam bin Saud bin Harib al Zadjali as Chairman of Muscat Municipality, with a minister’s rank.
Article (2) says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced from the date of issue.
Royal Decree No 72/2019 on placements in some posts.
Article (1) appoints Sayyid Khalifa bin Al Murdas bin Ahmed al Busaidi as Governor of Al Buraimi, along with his current Grade and financial allocations.
Article (2) appoints Dr Ahmed bin Mohsin bin Mohammed al Ghassani as Chairman of Dhofar Municipality, with a Special Grade.
Article (3) says that this Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.
— ONA