Singapore's IDA and Oman ITA sign agreement for services to Oman's Ministry of Manpower

IDA International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), has signed an agreement with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) of the Sultanate of Oman to deliver consultancy services for the Omani Ministry of Manpower. The agreement was signed at the sidelines of IT and telecom show, COMEX 2014 in Oman. 

Signatories (Left to Right): Tan Lark Yang, Group Director, IDA International, HE Hamad bin Khamis Al Amri, Undersecretary of Oman's Ministry of Manpower, Dr Salim Al Ruzaiqi, Chief Executive Officer of ITA and Witnessed by (Extreme Left): Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs

The collaboration aligns with the ITA's eGovernment Transformation Plan, which seeks to accelerate and automate internal processes and procedures within government agencies, and ultimately, bring about better government services to end users, as well as greater operational and procedural efficiency within the Omani Government.
 
Vincent Wong, Chief Executive Officer of IDA International, said, "As the public workforce in Oman becomes increasingly technologically savvy, it is imperative that smarter ways of work are adopted to enable more effective delivery of government services to citizens and residents in the Sultanate. Singapore and Oman share a common vision in bringing about greater value creation for the country and our people through innovative public sector ICT."

The agreement will see IDA International providing consultancy services to transform and streamline the visa clearance processes for the Omani Ministry of Manpower. This will help enhance the management of foreign talent in Oman. Consultants from IDA International will also undertake a study to improve the inspection processes related to the labour welfare management of the workforce in Oman.

HE Hamad bin Khamis Al Amri, Undersecretary of Ministry of Manpower, Sultanate of Oman, said: "We recognise advancements in ICT are transforming daily lives for citizens and residents and have become indispensable in the way the Government interacts and serves them. The collaboration with IDA International will empower us to work seamlessly behind the scenes to bring about greater convenience for our various stakeholders."

Dr Salim Al Ruzaiqi, Chief Executive Officer of ITA, said, "As we seek to push forward the Digital Oman national strategy, this strategic and timely collaboration with IDA International signifies a key step toward achieving the key pillar of our eGovernment transformation plan. We believe this partnership will establish a strong foundation and pave the way for future cooperation between the ICT industries of Oman and Singapore in the long run."

The agreement was officially signed by HE Hamad bin Khamis Al Amri, Undersecretary of Oman's Ministry of Manpower, Dr Al Ruzaiqi, and Tan Lark Yang, Group Director of IDA International, and witnessed by Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs. 

To forge stronger collaborations between Singapore's and Oman's infocomm industries, IDA has also led a delegation of seven Singapore tech companies to participate in this year's COMEX. An eGovernment transformation seminar was also jointly organised with ITA to facilitate exchange of best practices and thought leadership on strategies to bring about eGovernment transformation.

This is IDA's fourth showing at COMEX, which runs from 7 to 11 April 2014 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre.