Oman, which employs the third largest Indian community in the Gulf, mostly Keralites, has sharply increased the fee for issuing and renewing job visas.
The Ministry of Manpower of the Sultanate of Oman on Sunday abruptly announced a hike in the fee for job visas as well as for renewing the visas by 50 per cent — from Oman Riyal (OMR) 201 to 301 (At the current exchange rate, one OMR is Rs.173.32). Most expat job visas need to be renewed every two years, and, some every year. There are more than 18 lakh expatriate workers in the Sultanate.
Big impact
The hike is going to impact the 6,70,000-strong Indian expat community who are already squeezed by cuts in salary and allowances in the wake of the sharp decline in the oil price and the widening Omanization drive. Keralites make up more than half of the Indian community in Oman. Three-fourths of Oman’s economy are dependent on the revenues from oil and gas, and because of the oil price decline the country is facing a huge budget deficit.
Oman has, in the recent years, launched extensive labour-sector Omanization drive, both directly and indirectly, with a view to reducing the drain of its economic resources and to increasing job opportunities for its nationals. Most of the expatriate jobs are now under the temporary contract category which needs to be renewed every two years. Though the fee for renewing the job contract every two years is to be paid, in theory, by the sponsor or employer, effectively this is paid by the workers.
To be cut from pay
“The fee hike will be passed on to the workers and it will be deducted from their salaries,” an Indian journalist in Oman told The Hindu .
Though the increase in the job visa fee for camel herders, domestic workers and agricultural labourers is not very sharp, they too would be hard put as they get relatively low wages. An employer has to pay OMR 141 for a domestic worker, but if he needs more than three workers, he has to pay OMR 241 each.
And, since the visas need to be renewed every two years — which means the low-paid workers have to cough up OMR 241 every time.
Rafeek Rawther, who produces the Pravasi Lokam weekly programme on Kairali TV, points out that the increase in the fee is yet another instance of the increasing trend in the Gulf countries of cutting expatriate labour force. “Oman is increasingly becoming tough for expats, especially Keralites, because of the cuts in pays and the widening retrenchments,” he told The Hindu . “Doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals are being retrenched after 10 years of employment.”
