A
member of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and a Policy Analyst,
Atik Mohammed wants government to stop ‘pampering’ multinational
companies who he accused of exploiting the country’s natural resources.
Making
his submission on Oman FM’s political programme ‘National Agenda”, Atik
Mohammed urged government to ensure that the nation accrue huge benefit
from proceeds derived from the mining sector.
He bemoaned the
norm whereby even though the mining industry accounts for 5% of the
country's GDP and minerals make up 37% of total exports, the royalty
payable by the mining sector to the government is only 5%.
According
to him, instead of government reviewing its terms of agreement with the
companies to ensure that the nation generates adequate revenues from
the sector to enhance the progress of the nation, it has rather sought
to ‘pamper them’, saying “let’s get little from them and let’s continue
to kill our own citizens.”
He therefore appealed to government to
give local miners an opportunity to take over the mining sector in
order to reap more benefits for the nation. |
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