Muscat,
The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) today organized a symposium titled “Decentralization and its Role in Diversifying the Economy and Generating Employment Opportunities in Omani Governorates”.
The symposium reviewed practical models from the German experience. It elaborated on areas of preparing governorate budgets and disbursement mechanisms, as well as means of attracting local and foreign investment and highlighting investment opportunities of each governorate.
The symposium was held under the auspices of Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion
Faisal Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), said that the symposium stemmed from the OCCI’s keenness on consolidating economic diversification efforts in line with Oman Vision 2040. He pointed out that the OCCI seeks to develop the economy of Omani governorates in a bid to realize decentralization in them, noting that decentralization enhances competitiveness and integration among the governorates and contributes to achieving domestic development visions.
Philipp Dienstbier, Director of GCC Regional Programme at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) institute, outlined the origins and basic principles of decentralization in the Federal Republic of Germany. He pointed out that the German experience proved to be a successful model emulated globally.
HH Dr. Adham bin Turki Al Said, Chairman of the Economic Committee, spoke about Oman Vision 2040 and its strategic approaches for implementing decentralization. The vision, he said, accords priority to developing sustainable governorates and cities. In this respect, emphasis is laid on the sustainable use of land and the establishment of urban and rural areas characterized by natural and cultural heritage, flexibility and the ability to deal with climate change, he explained.
Mohamed Hassan al Ansi, Chairman of OCCI’s Labour Market Regulation Committee, said that, through this symposium, the OCCI sought to analyize how the German experience was able to achieve a balance between the requirements of comprehensive development and the competitive edge of each province, with the overall objective of serving the country’s economy.
The symposium focused on two main themes. The first theme viewed decentralization from the perspective of transition (with the German experience as a role model). In this context, the participants studied the progress made in the Sultanate of Oman’s decentralization drive.
The second theme addressed investments, economic diversification and generating opportunities. It dealt with the role of the private sector in achieving the decentralization approach and finding a new methodology for discovering investment opportunities.
The symposium also included two working papers. The first dealt with steps to build a business-friendly environment in Omani governorates, while the second paper outlined standards and indicators for monitoring progress in accordance with future goals.
