Date: September 14, 2015
Zubair Small Enterprises Centre hosted a new “Tajribati” discussion session in continuation of a series of sessions that were launched last Ramadan bringing together a group of Zubair SEC members and a number of experts from various public and private institutions having a rich work experience in the field of entrepreneurship. Also many owners of small and medium enterprises participated in these sessions from outside the centre. The continuation of these informative meeting sessions was due to its success and positive impact on the participants in leading entrepreneurial small businesses.
The discussion session concentrated on one of the most important topics concerning entrepreneurs and small business owners, which is the Omani labor law. The title of this “Tajribati” meeting session was “my experience with labor laws in Oman”, hosting a group of speakers from institutions relevant to small and medium enterprises. Guest speakers in this session included Eng. Sheikha Al Bulushi, Assistant Director-General, Department of Development and Performance Evaluation, Ministry of Manpower, and Mr. Khalifa Marhoon Al Rahbi, Legal Counsel and Layer at Khalifa Bin Marhoon Al Rahbi Office.
Dialogue and Discussion:
The subject of the “Tajribati” discussion session was crucial and led to an intensive and extended dialogue right from the start. The speakers and attendees exchanged valuable information through a highly transparent and constructive interaction. The audience raised many questions to which the speakers responded in a very informative way allowing for a clear illustration to the entrepreneurs on the right mechanisms on applying the laws governing their businesses.
Some attendees expressed a number of difficulties in dealing with the labor laws, particularly those concerning Omanization for small enterprises. All speakers were well experienced in the field of small projects, whether in practice or supervision, which added much value to the discussion. The audience raised a question on retaining staff after completing their training as the common understanding is that most small businesses find it difficult to maintain staff due to the fact that they constantly desire to look for a better place and there is no law to protect business owners after having trained the employee or to obligate the employee to work for a specific period of time after having been trained and qualified at the expense of the concerned establishment.
Commenting, Mr. Khalifa Al Rahbi said: “the nature of this “Tajribati” session was very enriching and the participation of entrepreneurs with ideas and aspirations in relation to the labor laws were very important in motivating the renewal and development of the laws with the concerned authorities accordingly”.
He added: “There are consistent endeavors to revise the laws relating to the small and medium enterprises sector to allow a proper environment for their contribution in the national economy through multiple activities ensuring its success and continuity.”
Eng. Sheikha Al Balushi also commented: “We extend our thanks to Zubair Small Enterprises Centre for providing us with this opportunity to meet a group of outstanding entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses and to listen to them and know the difficulties facing them in the implementation of their projects, as well as listening to their views on the Omani Labor Law and its relation with the development and success of their projects”.
She added: “There are standardized requirements known to the concerned official body and the owners of small and medium enterprises regarding the renewal of labor laws, but also there is some confusion when it comes to understanding the laws governing the functions of small and medium enterprises; such discussions sessions are a very good window for clarification and listing to the intake of the entrepreneurs themselves on such matters”.
The idea of “Tajribati” is based on The Zubair Corporation strategy represented through Zubair Small Enterprises Centre to support entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses by creating a transparent dialogue environment with those concerned with the development of small and medium enterprises who have a long history of work in this field and with officials of the institutions supporting small enterprises. These meeting sessions allow discussing a range of issues of concern to the entrepreneur, and challenges encountered during the course of the establishment of their projects.
Lina Hussein, Head of Communication and Social Impact at Zubair SEC said: “Today, the services of Zubair SEC are not limited to providing guidance, counseling and follow up of projects by the Centre advisers during the period of business establishment, but it reaches beyond that to finding a wide area of opening channels of dialogue between entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses to benefit from each other’s experiences, and between them and highly experienced business owners and officials from public and private institutions concerned with the support of SMEs to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to put forward and discuss aspirations and challenges faced during the development of their business”.
She added: “The idea of the “Tajribati” discussion sessions stems from the pressing needs perceived by Zubair SEC team from member entrepreneurs. The Centre team molded the idea within a systematic process to address key issues through various well organised discussion sessions, and made it open for all Centre members and non-members, to be held on a monthly bases on a specific date announced in advance each month”.
Zubair SEC already held four “Tajribati” discussion sessions till now, attended by a group of experts and specialists and discussed a range of issues of interest to entrepreneurs, including the Omani labor laws, the challenges of the construction and engineering design sector, the importance of exposure to international experiences, as well as the issue of the full-time dedication to running business. There was a remarkable presence of SME owners who demonstrated very good engagement and interaction with invited guest speakers. Tajribati sessions will continue to be held monthly to motivate owners of small businesses through sharing their experiences with their colleagues and eventually create a sphere of mutual benefit.
About Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC)
Established in June 2013, the Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) is one of the initiatives which emanated from The Zubair Corporation’s Social Responsibility strategic vision towards the Omani society. The vision reflects the corporation’s belief in the importance of small enterprises (SEs) in enhancing the national economy and contributing to sustainable socio-economic development. The centre extends business mentorship and guidance to Oman’s promising member entrepreneurs as well as financial support to selected entrepreneurs every year, to help them succeed and grow in a sustainable manner.
For more information on Zubair SEC, please contact the Communications Office at info@zubairsec.org