Muscat: The Ministry of Manpower, while rolling out a number of measures to be followed by the private sector, has resolved to impose fines on violators of COVID-19 precautions.

According to decisions issued by Shaikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah al Bakri, Minister of Manpower on Sunday, the measures are taken in accordance with the decision taken by the Supreme Committee to contain the spread of coronavirus in the Sultanate.

“All private sector enterprises should strictly implement the guidelines and measures issued by the Supreme Committee in combating the Covid-19 pandemic or face fines,” the minister said while issuing a statement on the decision.

With fines varying from RO 100 to RO 500, the measures include chalking out an internal contingency plan and maintaining records of workers infected with the virus.

The other ministries and government entities entrusted with the task are the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Muscat Municipality, Dhofar Municipality, Sohar Municipality, Special Economic Zone Authority in Duqm, General Organization for Industrial Zones, and any other competent authority.

“The Ministry of Manpower and the competent authorities shall collect the amount equivalent to the fines and transfer them to the account of the fund allocated to combat the coronavirus pandemic”, the statement said.

According to the decision, major fines include RO 500 for absence of security guards to monitor and record the entry and exit of workers and visitors from the workers’ residence and RO 500 for failure to maintain a special record for workers suspected of being infected with the virus.

Other fines include RO 100 for failure to placing awareness posters in various languages, RO 100 for the absence of the contingency plan to combat the spread of the virus, RO 100 for not wearing masks and providing a hand sanitizer, RO100 for not disinfecting work tools and equipment, RO 100 for not having a thermometer, RO 100 in the absence of signs of social distancing at the work sites or residences of the workers and RO 100 for not training workers about precautionary measures to avoid the virus

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