MUSCAT: The State Council began its fourth annual session of the seventh term (2019-2023), on Sunday.
During the meeting, the State Council approved a study on the accreditation and equivalency system of academic certificates issued by international higher education institutions and a study on psychological health.
Shaikh Abdulmalik bin Abdullah al Khalili, Chairman of the State Council, said that the council’s meeting discussed a number of topics most importantly a study submitted by the ad hoc committee entrusted with the accreditation and equivalency of academic certificates issued by international universities as well as the study submitted by the Social Committee on the psychological health.
The chairman of the State Council noted that the outset of the fourth session comes in conjunction with the celebrations of the 52nd National Day of Renaissance. He expressed his confidence in the members’ good efforts in debating the studies at the council’s sessions, and his appreciation of the roles they undertake by presenting proposals for improving the council’s works. He pointed to the improvement in the economic indicators issued by the international organization and the efficiency of the economic plans.
At the end of the meeting, the council members reviewed an explanatory memorandum submitted by the Council of Ministers concerning the government’s response to the visions and observations of the Council of Oman on the draft general budget for fiscal year 2022 and the two reports submitted by the Technology and Innovation Committee on the committee’s member’s visit to Expo 2020 Dubai during March 15-17, and Karwa Motors in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm on February 23. Besides, the council reviewed a report submitted by Dr Rashid bin Salim al Badi regarding his participation in the 32nd Conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union which was held in Cairo on 17-18 February and the report of the Assistant Secretariat-General for Sessions and Committees Affairs on the third annual session (2021-2022).
The State Council also reviewed a memorandum submitted by the Economic Committee concerning the settlement of non-performing personal loans and the Secretariat-General’s report on the council’s activities.
Sayyid Dr Said bin Sultan al Busaidy, head of the ad hoc committee entrusted with the accreditation and equivalency of academic certificates issued by international universities, said the committee studied the subject thoroughly and hosted many concerned authorities and came out with this study.
In a press statement, Al Busaidy said that the study on the the accreditation and equivalency of academic certificates issued by international universities came in implementation of the directives issued by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik that aimed at renewing the legislations and simplifying the procedures to keep pace with the developments. The study aimed at redressing the issue of the delayed accreditation.
He added that the committee registered several observations that were raised by the members of the State Council during the meeting, whether those related to the drafting of the study or the justification for preparing the study. He said that out of over 107,000 certificates presented for accreditation over the past five years only a meagre 105 were not accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
Dr Ahmed bin Ali al Amri, head of the Social Committee, reviewed the study on psychological health as health is a right to everyone regardless of his or her race, faith, skin colour or nationality.
He stressed that within the framework of the purviews of the State Council, the Social Committee decided to find an integrated and comprehensive legislation to address the anticipated repercussions of the changes that occurred in society and to expedite the issuance of a special law for psychological health to ensure a proper implementation of Oman Vision 2040 especially the aspects related to human and society section.
