Observer 25 Apr 2012 - Oman Daily Observer

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Old experts at the ministries Ali al Matani ali.matani@hotmail.com THE ministries and governmental entities have experts and advisors who have been appointed in their positions since such a long time that some of these persons are occupying their positions since the eighties of the last century, despite the updates and developments that are currently being witnessed by the world in all the scientific, technological, economic and administrative aspects. ECONOMICS, regardless of whether it is micro economics or a macro, is a subject which needs to be understood from the roots to its branches. Economic is the subject which does not differ from one religion to another. It is a subject which fits all societies. It is the need of all human beings. No matter if you are a president or an ordinary person from the same state. No matter if you are a true Muslim or belong to any other respected religions. It does not even matter if you are an atheist. Economics as a subject is essential for all of you, because no one can survive without a piece of bread. Understandingly, Islam is the religion which covers all aspects and elements of life. Practically, how does Islam look and apply economics for a better life? According to Islamic literature Islamic economics began with the advent of Islam, which means fourteen centuries ago. Some Islamic books does highlight that. Quran, however, doesn’t explain in detail the fiscal policies but there are some economic teachings and guiding principles which determine such policies. However, the Many modern administrative systems have been introduced, apart from numerous aspects that these people could not as yet be acquainted with. Though many citizens have retired through the various voluntarily or arbitrary retirement systems, despite their effectiveness and capabilities, yet these experts are still occupying the positions of administrative apparatus as if the need for them is personal and not practical. We think that those experts provided what they have and it is the time to give way to the renewed national or foreign expertise or the experts who have learnt the modern sciences, the developed investment and economic systems that require talented and skillful people to deal with the updates and changes witnessed currently by the world and keep up with the developments that are currently being witnessed by the Omani community. Nowadays, countries enter into agreements with internationally recognised entities and consulting companies to work as experts and advisors necessary details and teachings were classified by Prophet Mohammed, (PBUH). In early Islam, the main sources of income were zakah, jiziya, and khumus. In those days whatever was collected in the shapes of (zakah, jiziya, and khumus) were equally distributed to the public (needy people). The second caliph Umar had justified the taxes by saying; “Taxes are justified only when they are collected in a just and legal way and they are spent justly and legally”. In the current world, how the sunnah and sharia assist in formulating principles for fiscal operation? How does modern Islam and Muslims see economic in its true Islamic way and principle? Today, is the collection of zakah taking place appropriately? And is the distribution equally and justly done to the have-nots in various aspects on the basis that individuals, regardless of their abilities and efficiencies, could not provide integrated visions and prospective outlooks that take consideration the new updates in the world and the work requirements in all fields. It is time to renew our expertise and outsource experts from advanced countries, whether economically, administratively and so on to develop and upgrade the governmental sector, besides promoting the investment and managerial levels. The governmental entities should set time limits for any expert or advisor who works in its units because such experts or advisors shall not occupy their position throughout their lives. This must be done soon, especially now that there are also other national experts who could perform the same works and who are familiar in an excellent way with the new systems of work. Furthermore, the national experts have also a profound understanding for the local aspects and national requirements. It is time to renew our expertise and outsource experts from advanced countries, whether economically, administratively and so on, to develop and upgrade the government sector, besides promoting the investment and managerial levels. The government entities should set time limits for any expert or advisor who works in its units because such experts or advisors shall not occupy their position throughout their lives Islamic economics and its comprehension Mohammed Anwar al Balushi morwared@hotmail.com in the society in the world of Islam? Unfortunately, all such practices are not mostly seen in todays Islamic world. Economically, there are many good lessons from Islam, if applied many economic issues may get reduced. In many Islamic countries the proper distribution of wealth is lacking. One of the economists have said; “There is no underdeveloped country in the world, but there are some areas in the same country which are not developed by the ruler”. In the same way, you find one person is a billionaire while the other is penniless in the same country and within the same area. Before the conclusion, in my personal opinion I would say that it is not the religion which makes a good economic policy or a worse one. It all depends on you as an economist and explaining everything in Understandingly, Islam is the religion which covers all aspects and elements of life. Practically, how does Islam look and apply economics for a better life? According to Islamic literature Islamic economics began with the advent of Islam, which means fourteen centuries ago. Some Islamic books does highlight that. Quran, however, doesn’t explain in detail the fiscal policies but there are some economic teachings and guiding principles which determine such policies an economic way. For economists things are meaningless if they are not translated into economic language. Suppose you are a film-maker and spend more than six months to complete the film. The film gets completed successfully. As an economist I am not interested how many days you have spent, where you went for shooting, what lighting methods you have used, what obstacles you have faced, instead, I am more interested in how much amount you have spent, what was your budget, and how much you have made as a net profit. Suppose you are a novelist and published some hundred books. As an economist I might not be interest in reading all of your books, because, these are not yet translated to me in an economical language. But, I am very much interested to find out how many books were sold and read by people. Individually, what is your contribution toward economics? How much do you produce per hour, per day, per week and per month? Once, you understood your productivity level and the value of it, then; it means you are on the right path, economically. Whenever, there is a conversation on economy, Adam Smith, the father of economy always comes to peoples’ mind. He stated in the Wealth of the Nation his famous book, that labour of every nation is the fund which originally supplies it with all the necessaries and conveniences of life which it annually consumes, and which consist always either in the immediate produce of that labour, or in what is purchased with that produce from nations. This indicates that nations are producers and at the same time the consumers. It is the nations who produce materials and consume at the same time. 4 OUTLOOK OMAN DAILY Observer WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 Man-made storms Fatima al Zidjaliya AS life goes on serenely and peacefully and everyone is in the course of their daily duties, all of a sudden thunder blows and the wind roars and the weather turns aggressive. Human beings seek safe havens and animals run for cover for no-one can ensure his own safety when nature shows its ugly face and the weather becomes turbulent. God has created the world as such. Every precautionary measure is taken in such eventualities until the worse is over. Today we are much better off than we have ever been. In times past our forefathers suffered too much at times of extreme weather as they didn’t have the facilities available for us at present. No weather forecast and no meteorology offices to monitor the weather around the clock and warn the people of imminent menace. However, as far as the human nature is concerned, man-made upheavals are kept hidden deep in their innermost selves and when it strikes it wipes away everything in its path. The most horrendous of these is what happens behind the closed doors between the spouses. Differences and long disputes between husbands and wives could sometimes lead to powerful storms that destroy everything within the household and always affect other parties. Some people keep the feelings of resent inside of them. Such feelings always swell and become more serious day after day until they erupt like a violent volcano. An instance of this is what normally happens in the relation between fathers and sons when the latter are passing though sensitive stages of their lives without finding someone to understand their feelings. Some employees feel that they are treated unjustly, downgraded or discriminated against. Others are assigned tasks that are below their skills and not matching their The committee has not met yet! Majid Said al Suleimany www.majidall.com IN hindsight and again speaking from my own personal experiences and in retrospect I wish to reiterate this point that though we have seen some initiations and improvements in the citizens’ rights and freedom still nothing has changed much on the grounds and in reality. The problems are the same in pushing them forward into action, reality and into practice rather than them being minutes of meetings — and if even filed for records in the first instance. There is need for real action, propelling dynamism and pragmatism in moving them forward into practice and into reality. Time is not in our side, in essence and or in favour, before we all get bogged down into being reactive ‘fire fighting’ and further ‘red tape, bureaucracy and inaction’! It is alright to put news of improvements and changes for the better in the media but what is the use of all of them if they are still not practiced — or excuses given for delays and procrastinations — as is the usual case? I hope that readers remember what I wrote before of those working within the system — the ‘old guards syndrome’ — to prevent and delay changes. These peoples need to be exposed as lessons to others. This is the truth! The citi- qualifications or see their efforts unappreciated and unrewarded. Such treatment can possibly happen anywhere and to anyone but the consequences can be dire and damaging when the grievances of such downtrodden go unaddressed. God alone knows the scale of destruction stemming from the lurking anger of the aggrieved. These are but few examples of the sorts of torment suffered by many. The human self is so weak that it can barely withstand suppression, discrimination or other forms of maltreatment and therefore are vulnerable to unleash the innermost resentment in the form of uncontrolled outburst. Hence, any problem we experience should be dealt with wisely and nipped at the bud, otherwise it will aggravate and get out of control, resulting in drastic damage. zen cannot still win — or very few isolated cases — against the public departments. This is even if you have a case where if things were really practiced and put in action the citizen should win in case of disputes. But he will simply not win. Adversely, the same public body can take you for action and or sue you in courts for the ‘same case and situation’ for as many times as they want and the case will still be heard and nothing can stop them! You go to the public officials that you know hoping for solace and intervention — and they are obligated to do so by their authorities and power — if not that you know them well and hope wasta will kick in! Simply no one will ever lift a finger to help you, or they turn away from you as if you do not exist and even if you try to contact them face to face — let alone by e-mails and by phone? Even if you want to fight against the Big Cats for your rights or that company of yours that is closing down — you end yet again as the loser! How long will these things will go on before something breaks up or blows up in front of our faces? The truth and in fact the things that are at stake are in reality not really big unsolvable issues but involve the usual uncaring and carefree approaches and attitudes. What if really big things were at stake? One shudders and does not want even want to start thinking on this! Heads need to roll before things can really improve otherwise it is a lost cause and everyone will end up as the loser! Even if you have given up and do not want to fight your case because you know you will lose again and complied by what ‘as has been thought as fair and equitable’ who cares? If you follow up your case — so you can be in the clear — and restore your personal freedom and rights, you get the same excuse. The committee has still not met yet to discuss and or finalise Human beings seek safe havens and animals run for cover for no-one can ensure his own safety when nature shows its ugly face and the weather becomes turbulent. God has created the world as such. Every precautionary measure is taken in such eventualities until the worse is over. Today we are much better off than we have ever been. In times past our forefathers suffered too much at times of extreme weather as they didn’t have the facilities available for us at present How long will these things will go on before something breaks up or blows up in front of our faces? The truth and in fact the things that are at stake are in reality not really big unsolvable issues but involve the usual uncaring and carefree approaches and attitudes. What if really big things were at stake? One shudders and does not even want to start thinking of this! Heads need to roll before things can really improve otherwise it will be a lost cause and everyone will end up as a loser! your situation. You are not the only one so just wait! This is said to you more in annoyance and in anger rather than in trying to cool you down or making you understand about the situation and in letting you know about the results. There are things I said in 1980s that have now have really happened. Yet I was given all the labels, including — A big mouth — a trouble maker — needs to be stopped! and so on! My problems are that I care and feel a lot and want things to work out and not go bad! Instead, I always end up as the victim of circumstances of my own making for speaking up and making a stand and as usual at the end a loser! While those who do not care or bother get rewarded and acknowledged and given more and more because of their lack of caring and in indifference. Twice I have given up writing — only to persuaded to come back in again. Of course, I cannot deny that I need the money, if even after 35 years of dedicated services, loyalty and feelings of caring are simply wasted — because I cannot touch much my own pension for the very same aforementioned reasons. I can now understand and appreciate why people turn to religion in despair and in giving up hope, instead of the few like Mohammed Buazizi of Tunisia in self-immolation. I simply cannot understand and comprehend why people are so mean and dastardly to each other and not wanting to change despite all the changes around us now! I am really tired now in continuing writing about these same issues and I am still in the tunnel and no hope of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel — if ever that will be so! The only consolation is that there are so many of us this tunnel, victims of circumstances when our businesses went bust, and we had taken the loans from public finance especially! Take care!
MUSCAT — The upcoming “Movies in the Park” initiative which will see a series of family favourite lms from around the globe being screened over a six week period at Qurum Natural Park will be supported by BankDhofar as a main sponsor. The park will be transformed into an outdoor cinema from today till May 10 with an eclectic mix of musicals, action adventures, popular comedies and all-time favourites being screened. The initiative is organised by Polyphaemus in association with the Muscat Municipality. Faisal Hamid al Wahaibi, AGM Retail Banking, Bank- Dhofar said “The Park will be transformed into a giant movie screen and we at BankDhofar are delighted to be part of this event. “Each movie night is sure to be a real family occasion and we advise lm buffs, young and old, to bring picnics and blankets for a great family evening. BankDhofar will be adding to the excitement by holding our rst Al Heson Monthly draw for 2012, which will see customers competing for a share in our RO 180,000 monthly prize. Our staff will also be on hand to dole out goodie bags and advice on the many innovative products and services we have available.” By A Staff Reporter MUSCAT — Omantel will organise a celebrity cricket on April 26 and 27 at the Muscat Club in Al Wadi al Kabir. These cricket challenges, which will take place between ve communities in Oman with teams from North India, South India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will also feature high prole celebrities who will be in Oman to support teams from their native countries. Celebrities will include Riya Sen, Sandhya, Anarkali, Maria Wasti and Shimla. Commenting on the event, Maytha Dawood al Araimi, Consumer Marketing Communication Manager said “The league attracts Asian communities by bringing prominent celebrities from Asian countries such as northern India and southern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It gives our customers the opportunity to participate in the challenge and enjoy this exciting event with their local celebrity. We also encourage them to take advantage of packages such as the “Friends & Family” and the reduced International call rate. “ 5 OMAN OMAN DAILY Observer WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 Oman Air continues Omanisation drive MUSCAT — For the fth year running, Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, is underlining its commitment to its Omanisation programme with a major presence at Jobex 2012. Jobex, the largest and most comprehensive three-day career exhibition in Oman is to get over today at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Muscat. It has been attracting wide range of job seekers in search of interesting employment opportunities and enabling exhibitors to showcase their companies and job opportunities. Oman Air’s management has a deep-rooted commitment to providing as many career Movies under the stars’ to be supported by BankDhofar opportunities as possible for qualied Omani candidates. This year, Oman Air has been targeting jobseekers with general diplomas, with a view to training them for servicelevel positions both on the ground at the airport and in the air, on board its award-winning aircraft. The airline has been meeting potential job- Embassy of S Korea gesture to Grand Mosque library MUSCAT — The Embassy of Korea in the Sultanate of Oman has donated a collection of books and DVDs, introducing Korea’s culture, heritage and history, for the use of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque library. Ambassador Choe Jong- Hyun called on Habib bin Mohammed al Riyami, Secretary-General of Sultan Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture, Diwan of the Royal Court, to hand over the collection. This gesture is a follow-up to the visit of Kim Hwang- Sik, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque on January 13. The embassy received the books and DVDs from the Korea Foundation, which is an independent organisation afliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, and aims to promote academic and cultural exchanges with other countries. The Foundation distributes various publications in Korean and foreign languages and multimedia materials to schools, public libraries, research institutes and cultural and art facilities overseas. “The embassy hopes that the donated material will help the people of the Sultanate to understand the Republic of Korea and its people, which will further strengthen the ties between the two countries,” the embassy added in a statement. seekers, screening applicants and shortlisting them at Jobex. Wayne Pearce, Oman Air’s Chief Executive Ofcer, says: “Oman Air’s continuing success has seen the growth of our eet and network of destinations, the introduction of outstanding comfort, space and luxury both in the air and on the ground, and increases in passenger numbers and load factors. Passenger feedback is overwhelmingly positive and we have attracted acclaim in the form of more than 20 awards. None of this would have been possible without the remarkable efforts of Oman Air’s dedicated staff, the majority of whom are Omanis. Omantel organises Celebrity Cricket Keep in touch with your friends and family back home and update them on the results of the challenge by subscribing to the “Friends & Family” package which allows Mada and Hayyak subscribers to get a 50 per cent discount on outgoing local and international calls to four numbers selected by the subscribers. Customers can also benet from the new international tariff that allows Fixed line and mobile customers to call more than 70 countries including GCC, Indian sub-continent, majority of Arab and European destinations from as low as 65 baisas per minute from xed lines and 85 baisas per minute from mobile. Maytha al Araimi added: “I would like to invite all our customers interested in cricket to participate in the event which takes place at the Muscat Club in Al Wadi al Kabeer tomorrow and Friday starting at 4:30 pm. “It will be a fun family atmosphere with activities and a chance to meet the celebrities from their countries. Customers can nd more details in our Facebook page: www. facebook.com/omantelcelebritycricket” Malaysian promotion in Oman on April 29, 30 By A Staff Reporter MUSCAT — The Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Dato Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed will lead a group of ofcials representing seven ministries and government agencies, as well as businessmen from over 32 companies, to Muscat on April 29-30, at Crowne Plaza Muscat for a very special event, ‘1Malaysia Promotion in Oman’. This high-prole event is co-organised by the Embassy of Malaysia and the Malaysia External Trade Development Co-operation (MATRADE) and will be graced by Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry. The event will feature exhibitions and seminars as well as business matchings on trade and investment opportunities between Malaysia and Oman, particularly in the area of Tourism, Healthcare, Halal Development, Property/Real Estate, Construction, ICT, Trade and Investments. According to the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Sultanate of Oman, Dato Rustam Yahaya, “This will be a good opportunity for local businesses and entrepreneurs to network with their Malaysian counterparts and get insights and updates from the Honour- able Minister himself about Malaysia and how it can cooperate with the Sultanate.” From a country dependent on agriculture and primary commodities, Malaysia has today become an export-driven economy spurred by high technology, knowledge-based and capital-intensive industries. This is an ideal event to share knowledge and expertise as well as enhancing business and investment opportunities between the two countries. Dato Rustam adds, “This is an event not to be missed. I would like to call upon everyone who is interested to explore various business opportunities with Malaysia in this single event. There are plenty to choose from Malaysia, especially when our products and services are well-known all around the globe for their superior quality and reliability. Malaysia is ranked as one of the leading exporters worldwide for semiconductors, medical devices, processed food, building materials, healthcare, education, information and communication technology (ICT) and engineering services. “Malaysian services sector has grown from strength to strength and has achieved global recognition for several landmark projects. All these testify to the high level of con- dence and trust that international businesses have in us.” According to Nor Azmi Sulong, General Manager of the organising company of the event, Al Gaith International Exhibition Co LLC (GIE), “As a Malaysian, working here for the last seven years and managing an event management company in Oman, I can see many opportunities available for both countries.” Key Malaysian government ministries and agencies will be represented at this event to give Omanis further insights on what Malaysia has to offer and answer any queries. IDC-G expands to Mideast with Omantel as 16th member By A Staff Reporter MUSCAT — The International Data Centre Group (IDC-G), the rst global data centre alliance, has signed its rst Middle Eastern Alliance Member — Omantel, the number one service provider of advanced communication solutions in Oman. The Sultanate is located on the Arabian peninsula with unique access to the GCC, East-Asian countries and the rest of the world via multiple submarine cables as well with a terrestrial cable directly routed to EU. Omantel offers carrier-neutral co-location services in the Sultanate of Oman through its high-spec data centres. As a result of the large interest in co-location space, Omantel has just added a third Tier III facility at the Wattayah Coastal Station, which is securely located in the City of Muscat. In addition Omantel will double its available co-location space at its prime facility located in Barka/ Blue City. The stability of Oman from a country perspective and Omantel’s access to currently seven submarine cable systems, with two additional submarine cables under deployment, and multiple terrestrial links with seamless cross-connectivity between them, makes Omantel the most suitable partner for customers that need connectivity between the Middle East and the rest of the world. “This is another milestone for IDC-G, as Omantel is the rst member we have signed in the Middle Eastern region to join our alliance. The Sultanate of Oman as a country and Omantel’s position as the hub of the Middle East made it the perfect t with the global strategy of IDC-G,” said Guy Willner, Executive Chairman of International Data Centre Group. “Omantel is honoured to be the Middle Eastern company to have been selected by IDC-G to cater for their customers’ needs in the region,” said Sohail Qadir, Vice-President Wholesale at Omantel. “It is always rewarding to receive recognition for our unique position in the Middle East together with the superior quality and reach we offer our customers,” Sohail Qadir continued. The co-operation between Omantel and IDC-G has also received attention by the cus- GUY WILLNER SOHAIL QADIR tomers of Omantel. “We welcome this strategic partnership as it will further strengthen the value proposition of Omantel; Omantel truly caters for our multi-geographical needs for data centre services” said Joakim Klingefjord, Chief Executive Ofcer of Renna Mobile, one of Omantel’s data centre customers. Headquartered in London, IDC-G is a data centre service provider representing an alliance of high quality, carrier neutral data centres across the globe, with a focus on emerging and highgrowth markets. From initial investigation to deployment with a single interface for premium data centre services, IDC-G has the service for their clients no matter where they are at their DC cycle. IDC-G’s clients can leverage world-class industry experience combined with the local expertise of its Alliance Members, as well as the reassurance that comes with the IDC-G stamp of data centre excellence. IDC-G was launched in 2010 by Guy Willner, the co-founder of Europe’s leading carrier neutral data centre provider IX- Europe, which was acquired by Equinix Inc in 2007 for $555 million. Omantel is considered one of the most prominent and competitive wholesale telecommunication providers in the Middle East region. In addition, it is one of the leading companies in the eld of submarine cable networks and a key participant in several submarine cables as well with direct terrestrial links, which link Asia, Europe and America passing through the Middle East region, meeting the international capacity requirements of clients locally and internationally, thereby sustaining the Company’s leading position among its competitors.
Page 1 and 2: Participants thank His Majesty PART
Page 6 and 7: Omani Products Expo in Sohar draws
Page 8 and 9: Oman hosts 13th GCC History and Arc
Page 10 and 11: Nawras opens its 27th store in Soha
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Page 18 and 19: Wade hits maiden ton as Australia r

Observer 25 Apr 2012 - Oman Daily Observer

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