Muscat: Oman may soon follow Bahrain and the UAE in lifting the entry ban on expatriate workers who cancel their employment visas while leaving the country, according to an Omani minister yesterday.

"The scrapping of the two-year entry ban on expatriate workers is under study," Oman's Minister of Manpower, Jumaa Bin Ali Jumaa, told Gulf News yesterday on the sidelines of the Regional Labour Dialogue at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel.

However, he did not give a time-frame for a decision on the matter.

According to reliable sources, following Oman's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with America the matter could be expedited.

However, the sources added: "It is not only in the hands of the Manpower Ministry, the immigration authorities are also involved in taking the decision thus it is taking time."

Jumaa praised the expatriate workforce whom he said had contributed to Oman's development during his speech at the opening of the Regional Labour Dialogue held by the US Labour Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and Oman's Manpower Ministry.

"The expansion of economic activities and the higher growth rates led to a concomitant rise in the number of establishments, which, in turn boosted demand for workers and that necessitated that we host a large number of expatriates. We appreciate the investment of their capabilities, knowledge and skills," he said.

He pointed out that the Regional Labour Dialogue would address issues relating to the freedom of organisation, collective negotiation, child labour and the rights of women workers.

"We will also confer on protecting the rights of workers within the framework of the Free Trade Agreements signed between the US and some countries in the region, including Oman," he said.

This dialogue, he hoped, "would provide a good opportunity for the social partners to exchange views and benefit from the experiences related to the dialogue."

"Under the new labour law, promulgated in 2003, a representative committee of workers has been set up to protect their rights," he revealed, adding that both Omanis as well as non-Omanis workers have been given this right.

"We have already banned, under the new labour law, the employment of minors and regulated women's employment," he told delegates from various countries in the region and America.

Richard L. Baltimore, the US Ambassador to Oman, said that negotiating the labour chapter of a free trade agreement could sometimes be a challenging process. He commended Oman for providing rights and improving standards of the workforce in the country.

Martha Newton, the American Deputy Undersecretary for Labour, said that the labour issue in the Middle East region, with a large expatriate workforce, was complex and challenging.

"All of our countries are committed to honouring the International Labour Organisation declaration on fundamental principles and rights of work, but there is no single route to achieve observance. Each country must chart its own route," she added, and hoped the Dialogue would help generate suggestions.

"It is not only in the hands of Manpower Ministry, the immigration authorities are also involved in taking the decision thus it is taking time."