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Law Updates

EA Issues Amendment to Environmental Permits Regulation

The Environment Authority (EA) issued in this week’s Official Gazette Decision 187/2024 Amending Some Provisions of the Regulation Governing Environmental Permits, which amends articles 12 and 21 of the regulation. 

Article 12 of the regulation sets out that a financial guarantee must be provided to the authority when applying for an environmental permit for specific projects. As per the amendment, a financial guarantee of 250,000 Rial Omani must now be provided for oil and gas production projects per site.

Article 21 of the regulation sets out certain obligations of the project owner. As per the amendment, project owners are now required to submit an environmental audit study for specific projects. These projects include oil refineries, heavy industries, and oil and gas production, among others.

You can read this amendment in full in English on the link below:

You can also read the consolidated version of the Regulation Governing Environmental Permits on the link below:

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Law Updates

SPF Sets Categories Subject to Maternity Leave Insurance Branch

In accordance with article 127 of the Social Protection Law, the branch of maternity leave insurance applies compulsorily to all Omanis working in Oman, but this article left determining the extent to which it applies to non-Omanis to a decision by the Board of Directors of the Social Protection Fund. Beneficiaries of this insurance branch are entitled to 98 days of paid maternity leave.

This week’s issue of the Official Gazette included a decision by SPF on this matter, and it stipulates that the maternity leave insurance branch applies compulsorily to non-Omanis working in the government as well as those working in private sector establishments to whom the Labour Law applies.

You can read the text in full in English at the link below: 

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Law Updates

Ban of Plastic Shopping Bags

The Environment Authority issued this week Decision 8/2024 Banning the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags as part of the efforts of the government to protect the environment. This decision repeals Decision 23/2020, which previously outright banned all single-use plastic bags.

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Data Protection Officers Under the Data Protection Law and Regulation

The Personal Data Protection Law requires that all controllers identify a personal data protection officer and that the information of this officer is communicated to data subjects prior to processing any of their data. The specific details required for the implementation of this obligation have now been clarified in the Executive Regulation of the Personal Data Protection Law. This blog post will highlight the key elements of this obligation.

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Employer’s Obligations Under the New Executive Regulation of the Social Protection Law

The Social Protection Fund issued less than two weeks ago the Executive Regulation of the Social Protection Law, which provides a number of key clarifications for implementing the Social Protection Law. This regulation covers a variety of social protection aspects that relate to all branches of social protection benefits and social insurance provided by the law. This post will highlight some of the most significant obligations imposed on employers by the regulation.