About Government Services Pricing

The Ministry of Finance has undertaken a project to periodically review government service fees using a unified approach to pricing services. This approach takes into account the financial, economic, and social impacts when determining fees.

The Ministry collaborates with relevant authorities to strike a balance between fiscal policy and the goals outlined in Oman Vision 2040, which emphasize empowering the private sector and attracting foreign investment.

Objectives

Supporting economic development and financial stability in line with Oman Vision 2040.
Developing a comprehensive approach to determining fees. This involves studying all stages of the "beneficiary journey" and finding a balance between price, service quality, and competitiveness.
Facilitating beneficiaries` access to government services by reducing procedural complexities and minimizing costs.
Following a unified approach to setting prices for government services. It also emphasizes the sharing of information about policies and procedures with the public, ensuring transparency.
Overcoming barriers to private sector entry and enhancing competitiveness in the business environment. The guide contributes to fostering a favorable climate for private sector growth and attracting more investors.

Principles of the project

Transparency

To ensure transparency in everything related to service pricing and the method of rendering it.

Quality of service

To review the quality of services and their fees to bring benefits to beneficiaries.

Neutrality

Providing services at the same price for all persons unless there are exceptions.

Competitiveness

To make the “beneficiary journey’ competitive compared to the rest of the world.

Efficiency

To strike a balance between the service fee pricing and competitiveness to improve the efficiency of the services rendered.

Privatizing the services

Government units will seek to privatize the services, whenever possible, to rationalize expenditure

Simplicity

The structure of the fees should be simple

Implementation Stages

First Stage

Total number of fees reviewed: 905 fees

Entities to which fees have been applied:

• Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion

• Ministry of Heritage and Tourism

• Municipalities Sector

• Ministry of Labour

Second Stage

Total number of fees reviewed: 739 fees

Entities to which fees have been applied:

• Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion

• Civil Defense and Ambulance Authority

• Supreme Judicial Council (Notary Public)

• Environment Authority

• Municipalities Sector

FAQ

Having a unified methodology for pricing government service fees, along with clear procedures, supports the government in determining appropriate fees. This contributes to achieving the financial, economic, and social objectives of the Sultanate of Oman.

The guide is guided by the following principles:
• Simplicity in the structure of service charges.
• Transparency in pricing and service procedures.
• Imposing fees on services that bring added value to beneficiaries and serve the public interest.
• Neutrality in granting the same service to all, with exceptions when necessary.
• Simplifying the beneficiary`s journey in terms of fees and steps to obtain services.
• Encouraging privatization of services, when possible, to achieve spending rationalization.
• Striving for a balance between competitiveness, service quality, and full cost recovery when necessary.

The Ministry of Finance is the supervisor of the application of the unified guide for pricing government services. It provides support and assistance to government agencies in implementing the guide according to the approved stages of work.

A pricing tool utilizes input provided by the service provider to suggest the appropriate fee price. It formulates "pricing rules" from financial, economic, social, and competitive perspectives. These rules aim to limit negative impacts on revenues, the economy, and society while ensuring price competitiveness for beneficiaries in the Sultanate of Oman.

The primary purpose of the Government Services Pricing Guide is not to increase fees but to determine appropriate pricing for services. The increase or decrease of fees depends on the results of the fee study.

The guide primarily focuses on pricing operational and administrative services provided by government units and enterprises. These services aim to achieve public interest goals that have a positive impact on the economy or society, such as planning, regulation, rights protection, and fraud prevention. Examples include licensing and document authentication services, which are financed through fees. The guide also serves as a source of best practice guidelines for other types of services.

The guide aims to establish a unified and clear methodology for determining fees for services provided by government institutions. It offers a set of steps and procedures to follow when studying fees, to set appropriate fees that enhance the competitiveness of the business environment and attract foreign investment.