ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL …€¦ · 24-05-2020 · According to Ahmed al Balushi, a public sector employee, during the times of public health emergencies,

SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020 SHAWWAL 1, 1441 AH

ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI VOL. 39 NO. 192 | PAGES 16

MUSCAT: Oman is celebrating the Eid al Fitr on Sunday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadhan amid its battle against COVID-19. The main committee for the sighting of Shawwal moon for 1441 AH declared that the moon has been sighted in the Sultanate. Consequently, the first day of Shawwal which also marks the beginning of Eid al Fitr

will be on Sunday. There will not be any

Eid prayers , congregations and visiting near and dear ones. There will just be a call for prayers from the mosques.

The Supreme Committee designated to tackle the COVID-19 has urged all citizens and residents in the country to strictly abide by the guidelines and help stop community spread of the same.

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik received a cable of Eid al Fitr greetings from Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh al Manthri, Chairman of the State Council and Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Ash’shura, on the occasion of the blessed Eid al Fitr. In his greetings Dr Al Manthri said, “Your Majesty, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, May Allah protect you. Upon the happy advent of Eid al Fitr, I would like to convey to Your Majesty, on my own behalf and on behalf of honourable members of the State Council,...

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has extended congratulations to the Omani people and expatriates residing in the Sultanate, the Arab and Muslim umma on the advent of the blessed Eid al Fitr, 1441 AH.

His Majesty prayed to Allah the Almighty to accept their good deeds and to return this occasion and similar ones while they enjoy good health and safety.

His Majesty expressed his appreciation for all the efforts exerted and the measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its health, social and

economic repercussions. His Majesty commended everyone for their cooperation with the relevant authorities, calling upon citizens and expatriates to continue their cooperation and solidarity in tackling the pandemic witnessed by the Sultanate and the whole world and calling for full compliance with the guidelines and instructions issued by competent authorities.

His Majesty underscored the keenness of the wise government with all its sectors to ensure a dignified livelihood for all those living on the dear land of Oman.

— ONA

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@omanobserver

OMAN DAILY

HM receives Eid greetings

CRESCENT OF HOPE RISESK A B E E R Y O U S U F

HM greets nation on Eid

OBSERVER WISHES READERS HAPPY AND

PROSPEROUS EID

TURN TO P2

MUSCAT: The Eid al Fitr experience this time will be like never before with more people being able to connect face-to-face thanks to a wide range of apps.

With people confined to their homes and social

distancing has become the new norm due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the celebrations are different this year unlike in the past when Muslims would flock to mosques in the morning to perform Eid prayer and greet each other.

Also there are no markets

to cheer parents and children. The traditionally-festive Eid mood is subdued. “We can still gather with our families and communities. There are a number of apps, offering numerous ways of bringing families and friends closer”, said Mudassar Raza, a

virtual media expert.Visiting relatives and

wishing them is a common tradition for Muslims during Eid. And it is a festival that involves large meals with extended families and visits to the houses of relatives and friends.

Farther but closer than ever for celebrationS A M U E L K U T T Y

Stay at home

1

Do not invite anyone to your homes nor visit anyone

2

Maintain social distancing

3

Avoid hugging and shaking hands

Use face masks and sanitise your hands

Avoid visiting beaches or parks

4

5

6

DO’S & DONT’SFOR SAFE EID

TURN TO P6

2 SUNDAY MAY 24, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

OMANHis Majesty receives Eid greetingsHM

GREETS ERITREA PRESIDENT MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has sent congratulations to President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea on the occasion of his country’s Independence Anniversary. In his cable, His Majesty expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Afewerki, and the friendly people of Eritrea further progress and prosperity. — ONA

FROM PAGE 1 ...the best greetings and

most sincere sentiments as Muslims celebrate the conclusion of Ramadhan fasting, the month during which the Holy Quran was revealed, the month of mercy, forgiveness and liberation from infernos of Doomsday.

“Your Majesty, Eid al Fitr celebrates many meanings of brotherliness, collaboration and values of love and benevolence which elevate the souls, purify the hearts, converge noble feelings, exhibit joy and crystallize the unity of the Islamic nation in a manifestation of the very purpose of its religious occasions.

“Your Majesty, We pray to the Almighty Allah to have this blessed occasion dawn on Your Majesty over and over again and find you in

good health and happiness. We wish the noble people of Oman relish the fruits of progress and prosperity, also while the Islamic nation enjoys abundant bounties and blessings.

“May the Almighty Allah support Your Majesty! May He grant Your Majesty continuous success and guard you as a valuable resource for the people of Oman! Happy Eid al Fitr, Your Majesty”.

The chairman of Majlis Ash’shura said: “On behalf of the members and employees of Majlis Ash’shura, it’s my honour to extend our sincere greetings and best wishes to Your Majesty on this blessed occasion. The world is witnessing a pandemic that has affected the people and disrupted their interests. Your Majesty, you are following the fight against the

COVID-19 pandemic with a great attention and keenness inspiring the Supreme Committee for tackling the pandemic alongside all the state’s civil and military apparatuses to draw up clear plans and strategies for dealing with this emergency.

Majlis Ash’shura will remain for ever keen on achieving the interests of Oman and the Omani people and its members will endeavour, within the parameters of the powers they are given, to do their national duty with utmost honesty and sincerity always guided by your wise directives.

Your Majesty, we pray to Allah the Almighty to return this blessed occasion while you enjoy good health and happiness and the Omani people security and stability. — ONA

www.omanobserver.om SUNDAY MAY 24, 2020 3

OMAN

Salalah celebrating Eid without holidaymakersSALALAH: No one is able to answer when were the last Eid holidays that did not attract domestic or interna-tional visitors to Salalah in recent past. Everyone is clueless about this question. There may be variation in numbers – high or low – due to weather, but it never happened that there were no holidaymakers at all in Salalah during Eid.

Salalah attracted most domestic crowd when Eid fell in the middle of Khareef season for the vis-itors to enjoy the cool mist, pleasant breeze and refreshing drizzle of the Khareef season.

Even if Eid fell when there was no Khareef, people vis-ited here to indulge in the Jewel of Arabia, to get a glimpse of the life and time of Oman, which is incom-plete without visiting Salalah.

This is COVID-19 pandem-ic due to which Salalah is bracing for an Eid without holidaymakers. The pan-demic has played a spoil-sport for small and big businesses and even mood of the local people, who otherwise would be more than happy to greet their guests from other parts of Oman and neighbouring GCC countries. Said al Sahri, an apartment owner in New Salalah, admits that the pandemic has robbed

the people of their happi-ness as everyone is living under the fear of the dis-ease, which has spread its tentacles all over the world.

“This is the time I would have been busy giving a facelift to my apartment by bringing new furniture, painting rooms and arranging things for the visitors to come to my apartment and stay, which in turn is good business for me. Unfortunately, I do not see any scope even during the season, as I have not done anything for the apartment as of now,” he said.

Even if there is good sup-ply of accommodation in Salalah, Said had made a

reputation for reasonable price and good facilities in his apartment and people would start asking for booking even before the announcement of Eid holi-days. Similar is the reac-

tion of Jagdish Naik, Manager of Udupi restau-rant. “Eid holidays and Khareef (monsoon) are the occasions when we do maximum business. This is for the first time since my arrival in Salalah that I am witnessing such a situa-tion. Salalah was never so silent during Eid. This is such a compelling situation that everyone is clueless and hoping against hope for the restoration of nor-mality.”

There are many like Al Sahri and Naik, who are missing the humdrums of life and looking for an answer when exactly a sit-uation like this had hap-pened earlier.

THERE MAY BE VARIATION IN

NUMBERS – HIGH OR LOW – DUE TO

WEATHER, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED

THAT THERE WERE NO HOLIDAYMAKERS

AT ALL IN SALALAH DURING EID

KAUSHALENDRA SINGH

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) on Saturday announced 463 new confirmed cases with COVID-19, out of which 210 are Omanis and 253 residents. With the death of an Omani woman aged 68 on Saturday evening, the death toll rose to 35. The ministry reported the first positive case from Duqm on Saturday. The Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (SEZAD) has formed a dedicated team

to develop a response plan to manage any COVID-19 infections in the SEZ. The team is led by Mahmoud bin Hamoud al Rawahi, Director-General of Control and Compliance at SEZAD, and includes representatives from a number of corporates operating at Duqm. Previously reported COVID-19 cases in the Al Wusta Governorate were from Haima, which still has one case currently sick.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Sultanate now stands at 7,257.

WOMAN DIES, 463 NEW COVID-19 CASESS T A F F R E P O R T E R

Salalah attracted mostly the domestic crowd when Eid fell in the middle of Khareef. (FILE PICTURE)


MUSCAT: While the Royal Oman Police has started pulling up people for not wearing masks, citizens and expatriates have welcomed the new measures, mainly fines, announced by the government to stem the tide of the coronavirus.

The presence of the police was conspicuous with their mounted patrolling on all the alleyways in the capital city. They were found reprimanding people who were loitering, that too without masks.

“What is important now is supporting the government in its battle against the virus. Any measure except anything that involves the privacy of people is welcome as it will help contain the spread of infection”, said Hamed al Wahaibi, a retired defence official.

He opined that the move to entrust the ROP with the task of monitoring the situation, especially gathering of people, is a decision in the right direction. The Supreme Committee dealing with the COVID-19 situation has entrusted the ROP with the task to ensure adherence to regulations.

“It is true that people in Oman adhere to precautionary measures. But there are still many reckless people who roam around without following the guidelines. Fines are a tool that will ensure 100 per cent compliance”, Hamed said.

According to Ahmed al Balushi, a public sector employee, during the

times of public health emergencies, governments can enforce reasonable mandatory regulations whether they are fines or other restrictions.

“We all know that the virus is contagious and has inflicted maximum damage to the world. Still people do not follow the guidelines issued by the authorities. So the government has to be harsh”, he said. During the e-conference on

Thursday, the Supreme Committee announced many strict measures including fines aimed at curbing the spread of the disease. A fine of RO 20 will be imposed on anyone found not wearing a face mask in public, including in commercial centres.

Shajahan Chittayil, an Indian expatriate, while welcoming the regulations said that all the regulations are aimed at protecting the people from the pandemic.

“We should do our part by adhering to the measures. We should realise the gravity of the situation and behave accordingly”, he said.

It is important to fight against the pandemic now. The whole world is cautious today and orders to avoid gatherings even during festivals whether at homes or in the public should be strictly followed, he said.

STERN STEPS TO CONTAIN VIRUS SPREAD WELCOMED

S A M U E L K U T T Y

OMAN

MUSCAT: The number of the expatriate population in Oman has seen a steady decline over the last six months, shows data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

As per the Observer analysis, as of December 22, 2019 the total expatriate population was 1, 974,598, which dropped to 1,942,632 (as of January 2020), increased marginally to 1,944, 168 in February 2020), 1,941,369 (March 2020), 1,925,316 (April 2020) and 1,903,045 (May 2020).

There is a drop of nearly 39,000

in the expatriate population since January 2020.

As of May 22, 2019, the total expatriate population was 2,036, 986 (43.5 per cent of the total pop-ulation), while on May 22, 2018, the total expatriate population was 2,097,594 (44.9 per cent of the total population at the time). Among nationalities, the number of Indian expatriates dropped from 617,730 in December 2019 to 590, 539 in April 2020. Number of Bangladesh nationals dropped by 630,681 in December 2019 to 607,395, Pakistanis from 207,288 to 200, 683 and the Filipinos from 49,456 to 48,298 during the same period.

Steady decline in expat population: NCSI

CITIZENS AND EXPATRIATES HAVE WELCOMED THE NEW MEASURES, MAINLY FINES, ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO STEM THE TIDE OF THE CORONAVIRUS

V I N O D N A I R


OMAN

CANADIAN PREMIER COMMENDS OMAN’S FOREIGN POLICY

MUSCAT: A cargo plane of the Royal Air Force of Oman (Rafo) on Friday transported a body of a citizen from the Seeb Air Base in Muscat to Salalah Air Base in Dhofar Governorate.

The move is part of the humanitarian services ren-dered to citizens and expats by the Sultan’s Armed Forces and the other units of the Ministry of Defence along-side other state depart-ments. — ONA

NEW YORK: The Arab group at the United Nations under the Sultanate’s presidency hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a virtual meeting within the framework of Canada’s pursuit of a non-permanent mem-bership at the UN Security Council.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Mohammed bin Awad al Hassan, the Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the UN and head of the Arab group at the UN. Al

Hassan commended the relations binding Canada to the Arab countries in general and the Sultanate of Oman in particular.

The Canadian prime minister expressed his admiration for the Sultanate’s diplomacy and foreign policy based on peace and extending bridges of friendship to all countries. He added that he considers the Sultanate as a model for leadership in the Middle East region.

Trudeau touched on the existing Arab-

Canadian relations which, he said, are based on mutual respect and cooperation in various fields. He noted that his country understands the issues that concern the Arab countries, of which the most important is the Palestinian cause.

He affirmed that peace, the solution of the two states living peacefully side by side, is the most suitable road to a new Middle East, underscor-ing Canada’s commit-ment to the international law. — ONA

RAFOTRANSPORTS

CITIZEN’SBODY TO SALALAH

MUSCAT: The Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) has closed a pharmacy in Dhofar for hiking the prices of face masks above the designated prices.

Two days ago, the PACP ordered the closure of a pharmacy in connection with price gouging as the authority ramped up inspection at pharmacies to check the prices of medical supplies in general and face masks in particular

following a decision by the Supreme Committee for tackling the spread of COVID-19 which made wearing face masks in public places mandatory.

Earlier, PACP explained that the prices of face masks have seen a significant increase internationally due to a surge in import prices and a growing demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

PACP affirmed that it is verifying the import prices and checking the customs

clearance certificates issued by the Directorate-General of Customs at the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in accordance with the rules.

As per the Ministry of Health’s rules, importers are allowed to add up to 15 per cent on the import price. Distributers are also permitted to add 15 per cent, PACP said affirming that any addition on top of that percentage is deemed illegal and invites legal action.

2 PHARMACIES CLOSED FOR HIKING FACE MASK PRICES

SULTANATE’S UN DELEGATION HOSTS TRUDEAU


WORLD/OMAN

SURVIVOR RECALLS CRASH HORRORKARACHI: One of the two people to survive a plane crash in Pakistan that killed 97 people on board has described jumping from the burning wreckage of the aircraft after it hurtled into a residential neighbourhood.

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane came down among houses on Friday after both engines failed as it approached Karachi airport, the airline said.

Its wings sliced through rooftops, sending flames and plumes of smoke into the air as it crashed onto a street, sparking a rescue operation that lasted until the early hours of Saturday.

“After it hit and I regained conciousness, I saw

fire everywhere and no one was visible,” passenger Mohammad Zubair, 24, said from his hospital bed in a video clip circulated on social media. “The

cries were everywhere and everybody was trying to survive. I undid my seat belt and I saw some light and tried to walk towards it. Then I

jumped out.”Zubair had

suffered burns but was in a stable condition, a health ministry official said.

The airline named the other survivor as

the president of the Bank of Punjab, Zafar Masud. At least 19 bodies had been identified so far with DNA tests and funerals were under way.

“He was supposed to come last Friday but had to postpone,” said Jehanzeb Baloch at the burial of his nephew, Major Shaheryar Baloch, who died along with his wife and two children.

“Eid has become meaningless not only for Karachi but the whole of Pakistan,” said Zia ul Huq Qamar, who lives near the crash site.

Shahbaz Hussain said his mother, who was also among the victims, had been flying back to Karachi after becoming stranded by the lockdown in Lahore while visiting her daughters. — AFP

Mourners wait outside the mortuary of Edhi Foundation to receive the body of a victim for a burial in Karachi on Saturday. — AFP

According to Mudassar, social media platforms have an expanded network that helps families of all ages to continue to strengthen their bonds and keep each other updated online.

“Some of these platforms even share details of their daily routines including their attire, meals etc not only with family members but also with curious non-Muslim friends and colleagues. Individuals can celebrate with their family members and friends by through video calls”, he

said.Skype, FaceTime,

WhatsApp and a myriad of other video call apps offer a level of communication that phone calls and text messaging simply cannot provide.

Mohsin al Lawati, a banker, testifies it saying, “We have had good interaction with our family members and friends over Zoom during Ramadhan. We will continue to do the same during the Eid as well so that we keep in touch with others”.

However, many people

whom Observer talked to said they are dearly missing the festival mood as the coronavirus fears are haunting them.

The absence of social interactions on Eid still makes a lot of people unhappy. “Eid prayers are supposed to be held in a congregational manner. At the same time, Islam also accords priority to health. So it is better to stay at home and pray to the Almighty that an Eid in this manner will never have to be repeated”, said Mubarak al Wahaibi in Ruwi.

Rashid Ansari, an Indian expat, said, “We missed breaking fast together and sharing our food with friends. Even though it saddens me, we have to adapt to safety and health guidelines”.

However, Mohamed Rawther, another expat, said he will exchange Eid greetings with his family members and other loved ones over social media platforms. “We should not make it a big deal not to celebrate Eid with our normal social interactions”, he said.

Farther but closer than ever for EidFROM P1

South America virus epicentreWASHINGTON: South America is “a new epicentre” of the coronavi-rus pandemic, the World Health Organization has declared, as US President Donald Trump intensi-fied his push to reopen the reel-ing American economy.

Brazil led the surge across South America, its death toll pass-ing 21,000 on Friday from 330,000 infections, the third highest caseload of any country in a pan-demic that has infected 5.2 mil-lion globally and killed more than 338,000.

China reported more positive figures on Saturday, recording no new infections for the first time since it began reporting its data in January.

However, there are signs that other Asian countries are facing an upsurge — India registering jumps of more than 5,000 cases each day for much of the past week, although from a much lower base than the hardest-hit countries in Europe and the Americas.

Experts have hailed the impact of lockdown measures for slow-ing the spread of the COVID-19 disease, but Trump has long pri-oritised the needs of the economy over public health concerns — renewing his attacks on Friday on local officials for refusing to allow businesses to reopen.

His concerns about the econo-my were thrown into stark relief late on Friday when car-rental giant Hertz filed for bankruptcy

for its North American opera-tions — yet another sign of the virus and lockdown laying waste to the US economy, which has already shed almost 40 million jobs.

In Europe, where rates of infec-tions and deaths are stabilizing in many countries, governments are moving away from enforced national lockdowns towards advi-sory measures involving social distancing.

“In a sense, South America has become a new epicentre for the disease,” WHO emergencies Director Mike Ryan said on Friday, singling out Brazil.

But in the world’s most popu-lous Muslim country, Indonesia, people were scrambling to get around the rules to celebrate Eid al Fitr — AFP

HONG KONG/BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry branch in Hong Kong dismissed concerns that its proposed national security laws for the city would harm foreign investors, hitting back at “med-dling” countries as Beijing’s ties with Washington soured further.

The security legislation, which could see Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in Hong Kong, has sent chills through the business and diplomatic communities, spooked financial markets and escalated geopolitical tensions.

US government officials have said the legislation would end the Chinese-ruled city’s autonomy and would be bad for both Hong Kong’s and China’s econo-mies. They said it could jeopardise the territory’s special status in US law, which has helped it maintain its position as a global financial centre.

Hong Kong is caught in the cross-hairs of a Beijing-Washington conflict develop-ing on many fronts. After trade disputes and reciprocal accusations over the source and handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for US airlines to resume service to China. Britain, Australia and Canada expressed “deep concern” in a joint statement about the proposed secu-rity laws which they said would under-mine the “one country, two systems” principle agreed when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

A spokesperson of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in Hong Kong said in a statement the city’s high degree of auton-omy “will remain unchanged, and the interests of foreign investors in the city will continue to be protected under the law”.

Beijing’s move comes after pro-democ-racy protests in 2019 plunged Hong Kong into its biggest political crisis since the handover. Communist authorities see the protests as a security threat and blame the West for fomenting unrest.

The commissioner’s office described statements by “meddling countries” as “double standard and gangster logic”.

Despite reassurances from Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, many Hong Kongers fret over losing rights. — Reuters

Commuters wearing face masks travel on a public bus with an electronic sign reading “Wear a face mask”, in Curitiba, Brazil on Friday. — AFP


WORLD

In a sense, South America has become a new epicentre for the disease

MIKE RYAN WHO EMERGENCIES DIRECTOR

Beijing says new HK laws won’t harm investors

Time to reflect, regret, reset

Eid is now with us, mark-ing the end of a unique Ramadhan

experience that most of us would rather not have had, and it is incumbent upon us to reflect on wheth-er Ramadhan met its spiritual, cultural, cul-tural awareness, and pandemic induced re-quirements.

I can reflect that it must have been dif-ficult for those of you who have embraced Ramadhan in the past as a spiritual time of strength in union, be-ing able to worship together at the end of each day, knowing that you have shared the same community and religious expe-rience, finally com-ing together to give thanks for the experi-ence and renewal of your faith.

Culturally of course, bans on family gath-erings and commu-nity Iftars was always going to make this Ra-madan different, and so it proved. However, while there were cer-tainly none of the large community tents, in-stitutional and res-taurant Iftars of pre-vious years, it appears that the same could not be said in respect of those of extended families, and maybe friends.

We all know people who have defied the directions of the Su-preme Committee regarding social dis-tancing, family gather-ings, wearing masks, and intra-community travel, and what have they achieved? It is not like our communi-ty here in this wonder-ful country to openly defy authority, yet it has happened, and for what? Maybe regret?

This pandemic, de-spite what the lunatics and conspiracists say, is a killer, and really, I am not ready, in the words from Shake-speare’s ‘Hamlet,’ to “shuffle off this mortal coil”, yet.

What the future holds for us in the wake of COVID-19’s initial onslaught is so far uncertain. Even if either ‘herd immunity’ is proven, or a vaccine is discovered by a sci-entific research com-munity that has lost a great deal of its so-cietal reputation and respect, the financial, trade, and tourism consequences are barely measurable.

In a positive vein however, as a good friend advised me, it is an opportunity for us all to reset! To take stock individually, so-cietally, and nationally of where we are, what we have, and what we will do.

The coronavirus cri-sis has forced Greece to take rapid steps to com-puterise its lum-bering civil service

and belatedly introduce e-gov-ernance in one of the EU’s worst digital laggards, experts say. After recording its first corona-virus death on March 12, Athens took unprecedented measures totally at odds with its previous love affair with paperwork and red tape.

Diomidis Spinellis, head of the department of management science and technology at the Athens university of Economics, says that the COVID-19 crisis “accelerated” Greece’s digital turn — though critics say the country has a long way to go.

Between March 23 and May 4, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed, Greeks were required to inform authorities

when leaving their homes. A special SMS service was intro-duced for those unable to print a special form created by the government.

Eventually, some 110 million messages were sent free of charge during this period, in an initiative praised by the OECD.

The government also rolled out gov.gr, an online platform combining all public services and simplifying online access.

In 2019, Greece was among the EU’s laggards in digital per-formance, ranking 25th in the Digital Economy and Society Index published by the European Commission. That same year, about 20 per cent of the active population had no access to the Internet, nearly double the EU average of 10 percent accord-ing to Eurostat figures.

On May 11, the government faced criticism after large crowds gathered outside the main Athens offices of just-reo-pened state electricity company PPC to settle bills. — AFP

Virus edges Greece closer to e-gov

A L E X A N D R O S K O T T I S

A woman looks, via her modile phone, the website of Public Power Company, DEH, in Athens on Saturday. — AFP

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.

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ANALYSIS

BUSINESS

MUSCAT: OQ (formerly Oman Oil and Orpic Group) – the Sultanate’s energy conglomerate – celebrated over the week-end the successful start-up of the polyethylene unit of its giant Liwa Plastics Industrial Complex, paving the way for Oman’s historic entry into the ranks of the world’s leading polyethyl-ene producers.

A lightweight, durable thermoplastic, polyethyl-ene is one of the most widely produced plastics in the world with tens of millions of tonnes pro-duced worldwide each year. Polyethylene is used in applications ranging from films, tubes, plastic parts and laminates in numerous markets, including packaging, automotive, electrical, electronics, appliances, healthcare products and toys.

“Liwa Plastics Industries Complex, one of the stra-tegic growth projects within OQ Downstream, announced the com-mencement of the first base resin sample of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), now being produced for the first time in Oman,” said a senior official of OQ.

“We would like to con-gratulate all OQ employ-ees and Tecnimont con-tractor for achieving this milestone and thank every individual who has

contributed in enabling OQ to become a leading performer,” the official said in a statement.

Marco Crivelli, Project Director of Maire Tecnimont, the Italian engineering giant that was contracted by OQ to build, among other com-ponents, the polyethylene unit, stated: “Last night in Oman, something really important has been achieved by Tecnimont! Following the availability of the imported ethylene at our battery limit, the first polyethylene Unit was put in operation, achieving a safe startup and producing the first polymer powder at 11 pm.

The dream of an entire project life becoming true! It is a crucial step towards the performance test of the plant, proving the reliability of our work.”

Tecnimont, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, was awarded the contract to construct the polyethyl-ene unit, as well as a poly-propylene plant, at a total cost of around $900 mil-lion. The contract was one of four main engi-neering-procurement-construction (EPC) pack-ages awarded by OQ as part of the $6.7 billion Liwa Plastics petrochemi-cals scheme that is currently under commis-sioning within Sohar Port.

Liwa Plastics’ Polyethylene Plant con-sists of two ‘swing’ units with a capacity of 880,000 tonnes per year of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene.

Together with a new polypropylene unit of around 300,000 tonnes/year, it will boost the com-plex’s overall production

of polymers to a world-scale 1.4 million tonnes/year.

Gilles Rochas, General Manager - Performance Chemicals at OQ, stated: “I would like to congratulate the LPIC project team from OQ for making sig-nificant progress possible during this challenging period! We are looking forward to the historic moment of entering the polyethylene market for the first time and to our increased polypropylene capacity so we can serve our customers with more solutions all over the world. Besides helping optimise value generation from Oman’s hydrocar-bon resources, polyethyl-ene and polypropylene production will open up immense opportunities for investment in down-stream value addition in the Sultanate.


C O N R A D P R A B H U

LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT: POLYETHYLENE IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY PRODUCED PLASTICS IN THE WORLD

WITH TENS OF MILLIONS OF TONNES PRODUCED WORLDWIDE EACH YEAR

OMAN SET TO JOIN RANKS OF GLOBAL POLYETHYLENE PRODUCERS

BUSINESS

MS M 3 0 closed the week down by 0.40 per c e n t . T r a d i n g

activity was lower as turno-ver and volume dropped by 8.4 per cent and 9.4 per cent, respectively. Foreigners were net sellers of approxi-mately $2.1 million.

Market closed down led by Services Index which was down by (-3.19 per cent). While Financial and Industrial Index were up by 0.02 per cent and 0.50 per cent w-o-w, respectively. Shariah Index closed down by 0.39 per cent during the week.

Insurance providers con-tacted by a local print media group confirmed that they are in discussion with the Capital Market Authority, among other authorities, about the scope of any COVID-19 related cost bur-den on them. Discussions have been ongoing between them, but they have not yet received any directives with regard to this issue. Insurers anticipate some announce-ment to this effect soon.

The deliberations cover issues to do with, among other areas, patient cost-sharing, prior authorization waivers, co-pay, exclusions, and so on. Pandemics are typically excluded from health insurance coverage.

Part of the reason why is because the risk is not well understood and therefore difficult to price. We will wait for the final outcome of the discussion between the reg-ulator and insurance com-panies and will further ana-lyse it once it is announced.

Various utility companies last week announced that they received letter from OPWP, communicating that starting April 2020 it will hold back the power capac-ity investment charge and water capacity investment charge over and above hold-ing back of fuel charge pay-ment.

However, OPWP will con-tinue to pay Power Capacity Fixed O&M charge, Water capacity fixed O&M charge, Electric Energy charge and Water output charge.

Capacity investment charge is designed to cover the investment by the Company such as debt serv-ice, return on capital, tax payments, connection fees etc, and costs that are not indexed to inflation rates.

As per our estimations as many utility companies do not give the full revenue breakup, we believe the capacity investment charge revenue total for the year 2019 was approximately RO 230 million for the listed util-ity companies i.e. 37 per cent of the total revenue and approximately 60 per cent (average of companies

which disclosed revenue breakup in the 2019 finan-cials) of the total capacity charge revenue (capacity charge revenue is sum of capacity operation/mainte-nance charge and capacity investment charge).

We believe this is a short term matter largely due to challenges posed by COVID-19 and low oil prices. As oil prices are on recovery path, and taking into considera-tion OPWP’s spotless track record, we believe this situ-ation would be addressed appropriately taking all the stakeholders on board.

Opec issued its monthly

report last week. According to secondary

sources, total Opec-13 pre-liminary crude oil produc-tion averaged 30.41 mb/d in April, higher by 1.80 mb/d m-o-m. Crude oil output increased mainly in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, while production decreased primarily in Angola, Nigeria, IR Iran and Iraq.

In addition to the agreed production adjustments that should take effect as of 1 May 2020, on 12 May, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Oman announced that they would voluntarily deepen oil output adjustments from June, by 1 mb/d, 100 tb/d and 80 tb/d, 10-15 tb/d respec-tively, in an effort to expedite draining a global supply glut and rebalancing the oil mar-ket.

[Courtesy: U-Capital]

SERVICES SECTOR LEADS MSM DECLINE

VARIOUS UTILITY COMPANIES LAST WEEK

ANNOUNCED THAT THEY RECEIVED LETTER FROM

OPWP, COMMUNICATING THAT STARTING APRIL 2020

IT WILL HOLD BACK THE POWER CAPACITY

INVESTMENT CHARGE AND WATER CAPACITY

INVESTMENT CHARGE OVER AND ABOVE

HOLDING BACK OF FUEL CHARGE PAYMENT.


BUSINESSARGENTINA IN DEFAULT BUT CREDITOR NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina defaulted on Friday for the sec-ond time this century after fail-ing to pay $500 million of inter-est on its bond debt, but it contin-ues to negotiate a restructure with creditors, an official source said.

“We’re not paying but the nego-tiations are continuing,” the gov-ernment source said.

The default — Argentina’s ninth overall — was widely expected after the economics ministry announced on Thursday that it was postponing talks for a sec-ond time with international credi-tors on restructuring $66 billion of its debt, this time until June 2.

However, President Alberto Fernandez’s government is expecting to come to an agree-ment before Argentina suffers the full effects of its default.

The crisis-wracked South American country, which has been in recession for two years, currently owes $324 billion, amounting to around 90 per cent of its GDP.

It was already trying to renego-tiate its crippling debt before its economy was hit -- like others all over the world — by the coronavi-rus pandemic.

Although it is one of the world

leaders in food exports, Argentina has already defaulted eight times in its history, the most recent being in 2001 when it owed $100 billion.

That triggered a painful social and economic crisis.

Argentina’s main group of cred-itors is demanding “a direct and immediate discussion” on its restructure plans.

“The group is happy to see that Argentina has expressed its intention to work with the credi-tors, but actions speak louder than words,” said the Ad Hoc group made up of investment funds including BlackRock and Fidelity.— AFP

A JetBlue passenger jet lands with New York

City as a backdrop, at Newark Liberty

International Airport, New Jersey. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: The US Transportation Department said late on Friday it had granted tentative approval to 15 air-lines to temporarily halt service to 75 US airports because of the coronavi-rus pandemic.

Airlines must maintain minimum service levels in order to receive gov-ernment assistance but many have petitioned to stop service to airports with low passenger demand.

Both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines won tentative approval to halt flights to 11 airports, while JetBlue Airways Corp, Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines were approved to stop flights to five airports each. The depart-ment said all airports would continue to be served by at least one air carrier. The Transportation Department said objections to the order can be filed until May 28.

US air carriers are collectively burn-ing through more than $10 billion in cash a month as travel demand remains a fraction of prior levels, even though it has rebounded slightly in recent weeks.

They have parked more than half of their planes and cut thousands of flights.

The department has previously grant-ed airlines waivers to cancel some additional flights and denied others. On May 12, the department said it would allow carriers to halt flights to up to 5 per cent of required destinations.

Under the tentative order, Delta can halt service to Aspen, Colorado; Bangor, Maine; Flint, Michigan; Santa Barbara, California; and Lincoln, Nebraska, among other cities, while United can halt service to airports including Chattanooga, Tennessee; Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Key West, Florida; and Lansing and Kalamazoo, Michigan. — Reuters

US grants OK for 15 air carriers to suspend service to 75 airports

Traders work on the floor of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in this file photo. — Reuters


The crisis-wracked South American country, which has

been in recession for two years, currently owes $324

billion, amounting to around 90 per cent of its GDP. It was already trying to renegotiate its crippling debt before its

economy was hit — like others all over the world — by the

coronavirus pandemic.


Hertz files for US bankruptcy protectionNEW YORK: The more than a century old car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings Inc (HTZ.N) filed for bank-ruptcy protection on Friday after its business was deci-mated during the coronavi-rus pandemic and talks with creditors failed to result in much needed relief.

Hertz’s board earlier in the day approved the com-pany seeking Chapter 11 protection in a US bank-ruptcy court in Delaware, according to court records. Its international operating regions including Europe, Australia and New Zealand were not included in the US proceedings, the company said.

The firm, whose largest shareholder is billionaire investor Carl Icahn with a nearly 39% ownership stake, is reeling from gov-ernment orders restricting travel and requiring citi-zens to remain home. A large portion of Hertz’s rev-enue comes from car rent-als at airports, which have all but evaporated as poten-tial customers eschew

plane travel.With nearly $19 billion of

debt and roughly 38,000 employees worldwide as of the end of 2019, Hertz is among the largest compa-nies to be undone by the pandemic. The public health crisis has also caused a cascade of bankruptcies or Chapter 11 preparations

among companies depend-ent on consumer demand, including retailers, restau-rants and oil and gas firms.

US airlines have so far avoided similar fates after receiving billions of dollars in government aid, an ave-nue Hertz has explored without success.

— Reuters

Chinese companies added to US blacklist in latest Beijing rebuke

WASHINGTON: The United States said it would add 33 Chinese firms and institu-tions to an economic black-list for helping Beijing spy

on its minority Uighur pop-ulation or because of ties to weapons of mass destruc-tion and China’s military.

The US Commerce

Department’s move marked the Trump administration’s latest efforts to crack down on companies whose goods may support Chinese mili-tary activities and to punish Beijing for its treatment of Muslim minorities. It came as Communist Party rulers in Beijing on Friday unveiled details of a plan to impose national security laws on Hong Kong.

Seven companies and two institutions were listed for being “complicit in human rights violations and abus-es committed in China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labour and high-

technology surveillance against Uighurs” and oth-ers, the Commerce Department said in a state-ment.

Two dozen other compa-nies, government institu-tions and commercial organisations were added for supporting procure-ment of items for use by the Chinese military, the depart-ment said in another state-ment.

The companies focus on artificial intelligence and facial recognition, markets that US chip companies such as Nvidia Corp and Intel Corp have been heavi-ly investing in. — Reuters

A man leaves a Hertz car rental shop in New Jersey. — AFP

Chinese and US flags flutter near The Bund in Shanghai, in this file photo. — Reuters

BUSINESSLarge employers push back on US health care mergers during coronavirus crisis

WASHINGTON: A group representing some of the largest US employ-ers has asked Congress for a year-long ban on mergers and acquisi-tions among hospitals and doctors’ groups that received govern-ment money to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pacific Business Group on Health, whose members include Boeing, Salesforce, Tesla, and Walmart, said in a letter addressed to congressional leaders this week that it feared that further consolida-tion in the health care industry could lead to higher costs. — Reuters

George Washington is seen with printed medical masks on the one Dollar near Euro banknotes in this illustra-tion. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, who coached the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons and led them to two NBA finals, died on Friday due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, his former team said. He was 78.

“Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz”, the team said in a statement. “He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organisation and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss.

“We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise”.

Sloan was twice named to the NBA All-Star team as a player. But he made his name as a coach, ranking fourth on the all-time wins list with 1,223, most of those with the Jazz.

He began his head coaching career with the

Chicago Bulls (1979-82). After a stint as an assistant in Utah, he took over the top job with the Jazz in 1988 and was a fixture courtside until he retired in 2011.

Sloan was also the first coach to win 1,000 games with one franchise and was the fifth coach in NBA history to record 1,000 career wins.

Despite a record of success that included 16 consecutive winning seasons, thirteen 50-win seasons and 20 trips to the NBA play-offs, Sloan was never able to hoist the championship trophy.

He took the Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with John Stockton and Karl Malone, both times losing to his former team, the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan.

Often described as hard-nosed, Sloan ranks second on the NBA’s all-

time list for consecutive games coached with one franchise (1,809), as well as the second-most wins with one team (1,127).

His 16 consecutive winning seasons, from 1988-2004, rank fourth among NBA coaches, behind Gregg Popovich (22), Phil Jackson (20), and Pat Riley (19). He joined Popovich (22), Jackson (11) and Red Auerbach (11) as the only four coaches in NBA history to have 10 straight winning seasons with one team. — Reuters

SPORTSwww.omanobserver.om SUNDAY MAY 24, 2020 13

Utah Jazz coachJERRY SLOAN dies at 78

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winner Handre Pollard’s French side Montpellier announced on Saturday they will emerge from the coronavirus lockdown and restart training on June 2.

Pollard’s outfit follow fellow Springbok Eben

Etzebeth’s Toulon who will conduct medical tests on their squad members next Wednesday.

“After more than two months of lockdown, the time has come for the players and coaches to get back to the GGL Stadium”, Pollard’s outfit said.

The new Top 14 campaign is expected to start on September 4 but Pollard’s club team-mates including new arrival in Boks scrum-half Cobus Reinach will return to training in phases before being able to start group sessions in July. — AFP

POLLARD’S MONTPELLIER BACK TRAINING IN JUNE

Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organisation and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss.

UTAH JAZZ STATEMENT


SPORTS

DJOKOVIC ANNOUNCES

BALKAN REGION SERIES,

THIEM JOINSMUMBAI: With profes-sional tennis shut down by the novel coronavirus pandemic, world number one Novak Djokovic is bringing together some of the world’s top tennis players for a series of matches to run from June 13-July 5 in the Balkan region. All pro tennis tours were sus-pended in early March and will not return before August as countries went into lockdown and closed borders to contain the spread of the virus.

Some players, including Djokovic, have returned to the practice courts while maintaining strict hygiene and social dis-tancing norms, and some exhibition events without fans have also been held in countries like Germany and the United States.

“I’m proud to officially share the news that the

#AdriaTour will be held across the #Balkans 13June - 5 July kicking off with a tournament in Belgrade” Djokovic, who turned 33 on Friday, said in a Twitter post.

“Very grateful we could make this happen to play and support humanitari-an projects across the region”. World number three Dominic Thiem of Austria and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who is ranked 19, have con-firmed their participa-tion in the eight-man event which will end with Djokovic’s exhibition match against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Zadar, in Croatia, Montenegro and Banja Luka in Bosnia will be the other venues for the matches, which will be broadcast on televi-sion. — Reuters

Pochettino wants Premier League returnLONDON: Mauricio Pochettino says returning to the Premier League is his “priority”, stating he is eager to manage again six months after being sacked by Tottenham.

The 48-year-old trans-formed Spurs’ fortunes during his five-and-a-half-year reign but failed to win a trophy and was sacked less than a year after lead-ing them to the Champions League final.

The Argentine has now ended his six-month “gar-dening leave”, meaning he is free to join another club.

He has been heavily linked with Newcastle if their proposed Saudi Arabia-backed takeover goes through, while specu-lation over the Manchester United job has never gone away.

“After six months, our tanks are completely full,” Pochettino told various British media outlets.

“I have tried with my coaching staff to review everything that we did in the last seven years (includ-ing Southampton) because we never had a break until now.”

Pochettino, who still lives in London, said he “loved” England and the Premier League.

“I am not going to change (my feelings) now because I am not involved in the Premier League,” he said. “Because I am no longer the Tottenham manager, I am not going to change my vision.

“I still think the Premier League is the best league in the world. We enjoy it a lot. Of course, it’s one of the

options. Of course, it can be my priority but I am not closed to move to a differ-ent country.”

Pochettino said due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, it was difficult to know what opportunities would be available.

“Today we are going to live a completely different era in football that we need to discover,” he said. “It’s difficult to know what project is going to be the right project.

“There are many things, at the moment, that we have in our minds about how things are going to be after this virus hopefully disappears, but how are these clubs or companies, because that’s what they are, going to be? It’s a big question mark.” — AFP

NEW YORK: New York Knicks great Patrick Ewing on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The 57-year-old, who played 17 seasons in the NBA and who is currently the head coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, said he wanted to share his diagnosis publicly to emphasise that the virus can affect anyone.

“I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” he said on Twitter.

“This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones.”

Georgetown Athletics said he is under care and isolated at a local hospital and added that he is the only member of the Georgetown men’s basketball programme to have tested positive for the virus.

— Reuters

Knicks great Ewing says he has Covid-19

SPORTSwww.omanobserver.om SUNDAY MAY 24, 2020 15

After six months, our tanks are completely full. I have tried with my coaching staff to review everything that we did in the last seven years (including Southampton) because we never had a break until now.

MAURICIO POCHETTINO, FORMER TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER


SPORTSSETIEN KEEN ON NEYMAR BARCA RETURNBARCELONA: Barcelona boss Quique Setien says he would love to coach Neymar and would be “delighted” if the Brazilian returns to the club from Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca tried to re-sign Neymar last year but were unable to agree a deal with French champions PSG, whom he joined for a world-record fee of 222 million euros ($264 million at the time) in 2017.

An agreement may be even harder to strike this summer given the financial implications of the corona-virus pandemic, although reportedly Barcelona could offer players in exchange.

“I would love to be able to coach him some day,” said Setien, speaking to beIN Sport late on Friday. “We are talking about an exceptional level. Fortunately I have already fulfilled one of my dreams, which was to coach (Lionel) Messi but I would be delighted if Neymar comes.”

Neymar previously formed a successful attacking trio with Luis Suarez and Messi at Barcelona but Suarez’s future is uncertain.

The 33-year-old has not played since January when he underwent surgery on an injury to his right knee, and Setien admitted he needs more time to regain full fitness with La Liga given the green light by the Spanish gov-ernment on Saturday to start in the week of June 8.

— AFP

I would love to be able to coach him some day. We are talking about an exceptional level. Fortunately I have already fulfilled one of my dreams, which was to coach (Lionel) Messi but I would be delighted if Neymar comes.

QUIQUE SETIEN, BARCELONA MANAGER

Documents

ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL …€¦ · 24-05-2020 · According to Ahmed al Balushi, a public sector employee, during the times of public health emergencies,