The National Office for Local Content at the General Secretariat of the Tender Board has adopted institutional excellence indicators to enhance governance performance in collaboration with the Institutional Excellence Team at the Ministry of Labor.
This initiative aims to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework that allows for measuring the level of compliance with local content policies and identifying areas for improvement. It supports strategic objectives to bolster the national economy and strengthen the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Tomorrow, Monday, the National Office for Local Content, in cooperation with the Institutional Excellence Team at the Ministry of Labor, will hold a meeting with relevant entities to review the achievements of local content and introduce the mechanisms for implementing the indicators and measuring their performance.
Ghalib bin Amer Al-Hinai, Head of the National Office for Local Content, stated that the office will continue its efforts to enhance local content governance, inspired by the noble directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, which emphasize the need to accelerate the implementation of the national local content system as a key pillar in maximizing the economic benefits of government spending.
He added that the office has recently issued regulations and guiding manuals to support the application of local content policies. Additionally, it has worked on digitizing and automating local content-related processes through the electronic tendering platform (Esnad), contributing to increased efficiency and transparency in government procurement and contracting.
Al-Hinai explained that local content indicators focus on three main areas: government entities and their procurement, operational contracts, and development projects. These areas are further divided into three core elements: employment and training of the national workforce, support for SMEs and freelancers, and the promotion of locally manufactured products and goods. These elements are distributed across 11 sub-indicators designed to measure the extent of government entities' commitment to local content policies, enabling institutional performance improvement and maximizing local economic returns from government spending.
He stressed that government entities must incorporate local content requirements into their procurement, contracts, and projects before launching them. They should also ensure the inclusion of detailed local content plans before signing any contracts or financial commitments, in accordance with Financial Circular No. (5/2024) regarding the state's contract signing and financial obligations system.
Additionally, financial departments and sections must verify compliance with local content requirements by reviewing supporting documents before processing invoice payments. Internal audit departments are responsible for ensuring the integrity of financial procedures and their alignment with local content regulations, ensuring full adherence to governance and transparency requirements.
As part of efforts to enhance oversight and ensure compliance, local content indicators will be measured monthly to maintain data accuracy and conduct periodic analysis. Measurement results must be submitted to the National Office for Local Content at least ten working days before the end of each quarter for review and approval by the Institutional Excellence Team at the Ministry of Labor. These results will then be integrated into the overall institutional excellence indicators for each government entity to assess institutional performance and improve public expenditure efficiency.
Al-Hinai reaffirmed that the National Office for Local Content remains committed to developing the local content system through a gradual approach that aligns with market dynamics and Oman's developmental needs. This approach fosters greater integration between government entities and the private sector, supporting sustainable economic growth, enhancing the competitiveness of national enterprises, and reinforcing Oman Vision 2040's goal of a knowledge- and innovation-based sustainable economy.