By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Oman on Sunday agreed on early finalization of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labor and manpower exchange which would facilitate the enhancement of Pakistan workforce and its smooth movement from Pakistan to Oman.
This was decided in a meeting held in Muscat between Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Minister of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain is on a three-day visit to the Sultanate where he will meet several ministers of Oman and will inaugurate a new branch of Pakistan International School in Muscat.
During the meeting, Chaudhry Salik Hussain apprised the Omani side of the major reforms the government was undertaking to improve the emigration process of Pakistani workers, their professional capacity enhancement and the marketing of Pakistani workforce abroad. He said that Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis was upgrading the technical training centers in Pakistan on modern lines which would train the workforce according to the certification requirement of each individual country or region.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain informed that Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis was going to start a compulsory pre-departure orientation program for all the workers going abroad which would educate them about the labor laws of the host country, workers’ rights and duties, cultural sensitivities of the host country and reprieve mechanism in case of any eventuality during ones stay abroad.
Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain said that Pakistan and Oman were enjoying very cordial relations and Pakistanis are contributing to the development of Oman. He said Pakistanis were very skilled workers and works in vast variety of fields. He expressed the commitment of the Government of Oman to streamline the process of migration of workers to Oman and remove any irritants thereof.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain invited his counterpart to Pakistan to see the technical training facilities and a possible joint collaboration in training in the future. He also proposed the possibility of Oman investing in skill development centers in Pakistan, focusing on training workers according to the demands of the Omani market. The two sides agreed to enhance official engagements between the two countries.
