Two-pronged plan for Indian expats in Oman hit by the COVID pandemic

Muscat: Indian expats in Oman who’ve been affected by the coronavirus pandemic have been offered two types of assistance, depending on whether they’re staying in the country or going back home.

Munu Mahawar, the ambassador of India to Oman, said he will continue to collaborate with the Omani authorities to help Indian expats who require assistance during these testing circumstances.

“There are various issues that the community is facing, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it is a loss of livelihood, or relating to restrictions in movement,” he told Times TV.

“We have been able to work very closely with the government of Oman and address these issues, so by and large, the community is in a comfortable position.

“We are now looking to the future with a sense of hope and optimism,” he added.

“We feel confident that we will be able to overcome this crisis the entire world is facing. Vaccines are now available, so the pandemic will end soon, but until then, we are sensitising community members to keep taking precautions, extending whatever support they require, and a section of the community is making use of the amnesty scheme the government of Oman has launched, so we are helping them return to India under this initiative.”

Explaining the various efforts the embassy is carrying out to assist Indian nationals in Oman, he said: “Our efforts have been to provide support at two levels. Within the country, we have taken measures to provide some relief, such as requesting schools to not charge for additional elements in their academic fees, giving concessions and exempting fees altogether whose parents are in a really difficult position.

“Apart from that, we’ve provided food assistance, particularly during the early months of COVID,” he went on to say. “We have repatriated those who have lost jobs, but beyond that our support extends to helping them resettle.”

Mahawar made mention of the SWADES (Skilled Workers Annual Database for Employment Support) initiative launched by the Indian government since the start of the pandemic to reintegrate returning overseas nationals into the country’s workforce.

“Indian workers in Oman carry with them great skills, so when they go back home, these skills are of great use to the nation,” he said.

“In many areas, we are going to upskill them, the government has launched a scheme under which skill mapping of all those returning to India is being done.

“They are being re-skilled or upskilled as is necessary, while those who have the required skill levels are directly entering the workforce to make use of their capabilities,” he revealed.

Mahawar said the ability of the Embassy to conduct on-ground visits to accurately gauge the impact of the pandemic on Indian expats had been blunted, because of regulations requiring people to curb large-scale interactions.

“This has been a very integral part of our engagements with our people here. This is the main issue, but technology has come to our rescue: we are able to interact virtually,” he explained.

“There are economic issues at which we really need to refocus. We have to start looking toward the future, but by and large, the embassy team has been able to continue functioning smoothly and we are happy about that.

“For the coming months, our focus will remain on working closely with the government of Oman and our community to provide whatever support is necessary in our fight against COVID,” Mahawar said.

“But we also have to start our engagements and cooperation in a post-COVID world. I see huge opportunities for India and Oman to expand our cooperation, particularly in the field of the economy.”