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28-01-2019

Oman Observer

Muscat, Jan 27 – The National Conference for Future Vision Oman 2040 was inaugurated on Sunday under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture and the Head of Oman 2040 Future Vision Main Committee.
The two-day conference will look at promoting community participation in the Oman 2040 Vision preparation process, discussing the vision’s initial key features and showcasing the best international practices in vision application.

BIG PLATFORM

It is considered to be a platform to discuss enablers and mechanisms for vision realisation, opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss top practices regarding sustainable development.
In his opening speech, HH Sayyid Haitham said: “While conducting the vision project, we have been so keen to ensure the presence and participation of all segments of Omani society, and being a major partner in formulating their priorities and aspirations.”
He said the committees and task forces identified specific themes and pillars for the vision to serve as a framework for the project. They started by analysing the current situations and then moving to the foresight of the future and the laying down a number of future scenarios.
These scenarios are based on the understanding of the social, economic and cultural changes within the Sultanate, and their interactions with the global megatrends and drivers of change.
According to him, based on the outputs of such practical phases, the strategic directions were identified in line with the preliminary goals comprising education, scientific research, empowerment of national capacities.

COMPETITIVE ECONOMY

It is expected to help realise sustainable welfare based on state-of-the-art healthcare system, an economic management that supports economic diversification, develops job market environment and enables the private sector to take the initiative for leading a competitive and integrated national economy.
“The goals include environmental sustainability, a comprehensive geographical development based on the concepts of decentralisation, and the integration of roles between the public sector, the private sector and society.”

“The vision document will be a true reflection of our people’s insights and aspirations towards a future we all are looking for,” he added.
Talal bin Sulaiman al Rahbi, Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning, Head of the Oman 2040 Vision Technical Committee, in his speech, said: “The process of preparing the Future Vision ‘Oman 2040’ relies on a number of basic premises, including the National Priorities, the Report on Main Directives to Formulate Oman 2040, the National Programme for Enhancing the Economic Diversity (Tanfeedh), Oman 2040 committees and task forces’ output, available studies and strategic reports, Oman 2020 achievements and lessons learned, sectorial strategies, the National Strategy for Urban Development, the Ninth Five-year Development Plan, the international reports and indicators related to the vision themes and pillars, and the outputs of Oman Vision 2040 office.”

Al Rahbi said the number of participants have crossed 2,500 via online registrations, which indicates importance of this vision to the various sections of society.
Speaking on the occasion, Ricardo Hausmann, Director of Harvard’s Center for International Development and Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at the Kennedy School of Government, emphasised the importance of collaboration of all segments of society for fulfilling the vision.
He lauded Oman’s “wise use of oil wealth which has transformed Oman from a country with limited capabilities to a country competing for top places.’’
“I was looking at the figures since Renaissance in 1970 till now. From zero coverage, secondary schooling has covered almost 100 per cent.”
Commenting on achievements, he said the Sultanate has seen a dramatic increase in life expectancy and a dramatic reduction in mortality, a population from 700,000 to almost 4.5 million, almost full access to electricity and 100 per cent mobile penetration.
“The Vision 2040 is ambitious as it involves sharing of common goals. It has three pillars: society (creative individuals), competitive economy and a capable state (governance, oversights of economy, justice and performance),” he said.

Hausmann said although Oman has made tremendous achievements in the past riding on oil, that hasn’t been the case in the recent past. “It has been a challenge to make quick progress without supportive production.”
He felt the country “needed a strategy where it can develop with least contribution from oil.’’
The first day of the conference saw three panel discussions on the preliminary features of Oman 2040 Vision: people and society, economy and governance.
There were also two dialogue sessions on roles of society, youth and government for vision realisation. These sessions discussed enabling individuals and supporting them with the tools that help them accomplish their duties sufficiently, as well as enabling the civil society organisations to support the target society segments in order to achieve sustainable development.
The second session discussed the role of the government in realising the vision through the conversion into a flexible government sector that thrives to enable the private sector and civil society.

The session also discussed the sector’s most prominent responsibilities which are: regulation and oversight, managing the social economic conversion within an effective governance framework.
Besides the conference, side events are also held such as the side exhibition and the youth platform. The exhibition aims to highlight several development projects in the Sultanate that aim to reinforce investment and create a supportive atmosphere for the private sector.
The exhibition is divided into 2 sections, the first has 15 leading national projects in Oman, and the second has 25 ambitious youth initiatives.
Today, the conference will see four discussion panels on the role of the private sector in achieving the vision, change management and positive reinforcement, economic cooperation and integration and its importance in achieving the vision, and the best international practises for achieving national visions and priorities.