Majlis Al Shura set to discuss draft of the Oman’s state general budget for year 2023

Muscat: Following the orders of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Shura Council (Majlis Al Shura) will open its annual sessions (2022-2023) for the ninth term (2022-2023) on Sunday, as per Article (38) of Oman Council Law.

The first session of the Council will be held under the chairmanship of Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Council, in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Nadabi, Secretary-General of the Shura Council, and the members of the Council.

They will discuss the work plans of the Legislative and Legal Committee, the Economic and Financial Committee, the Health and Environmental Committee, the Education and Scientific Research Committee, the Services and Social Development Committee, the Youth and Human Resources Committee, the Food and Water Security Committee and the Information and Culture Committee.

The Shura Council agenda for the session opening on November 6 includes discussing the draft of the state’s general budget for the fiscal year 2023, briefing on the school education draft law, the draft of higher education law and the draft law on regulating the water and sanitation sector.

Besides, it will discuss the report of the Economic and Financial Committee on the mining sector, in addition to discussing the procedures for proving ownership for residential and agricultural lands and expanding the powers of the branches of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in the governorates in light of the opinion of the Services and Social Development Committee.

The session’s proceedings will witness the approval of a number of requests for discussion in accordance with Article (68) of Oman Council Law No. (7/2021); among the most prominent of these requests is a request for discussion on the phenomenon of commodity and geographical concentration of the trade balance of the Sultanate.

The draft of the state’s general budget for the fiscal year 2023, which was transferred from the government, will also be briefed, and the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee is currently studying it according to a specific executive programme.

Also on agenda are the draft agreement on cooperation in the field of maritime transport and ports between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and briefing on the draft air transport agreement between the Government of Oman and the Government of Canada.

(With ONA inputs)