RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
29October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4740)
Original: English Working Party ontheAccession
oftheSultanate ofOman
ACCESSION OFTHE SULTANATE OFOMAN
Communication from theSultanate ofOman
Forthepurposes oftheaccession oftheSultanate ofOman totheWTO, theMinistry of
CommerceandIndustryoftheSultanateofOmanhaspresentedthefollowingofferofinitialcommitments
ontrade inservices, withtherequest thatitbecirculated tomembers oftheWorking Party.
_______________WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
Page2INITIAL OFFER OFTHE SULTANATE OFOMAN
Modes ofsupply: 1)Cross-border supply 2)Consumption abroad 3)Commercial presence 4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsub-sector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS
ALL SECTORS INCLUDED
INTHIS SCHEDULE3) Commercial presence is
permitted onlyintheform of
jointventure companies
incorporated inOman, withthe
share ofOmani partners not
lessthan51%. Subject to
approval under theForeign
Capital Investment Lawof
Oman. Commercial presence
willbeaccompanied with
transfer oftechnology and
training ofOmani personnel to
undertake higher
responsibilities.3) Acquisition oflandandreal
estate isnotpermitted toforeign
companies andforeign
individuals.
Companies withforeign
participation mayberequired to
payahigher rateofincome tax
ascompared withwholly Omani
owned companies.
4) Unbound except formeasures
concerning entry andtemporary
stayofnatural persons whofall
intooneofthefollowing
categories:
(i) Business Visitors
Persons notbased inOman,
whovisitOman onbehalf ofa
service supplier forbusiness
negotiations (andnotfordirect
saleofservices) orfordoing
preparatory work for
establishing commercial
presence inOman. Entry for
persons inthiscategory shall
notbeformore than90days.WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
Page3Modes ofsupply: 1)Cross-border supply 2)Consumption abroad 3)Commercial presence 4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsub-sector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
(ii) Employees of
juridical persons
Number offoreign persons
limited to20%ofthetotal
number ofemployees ofa
company.
II. SECTOR-SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
1. BUSINESS SERVICES
A. Professional services
(b) Accounting, auditing
andbook-keeping
services
(c) Taxation services
(e) Engineering services1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asinthe
horizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
B. Computer andRelated
Services1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section.
C. Research and
Development Services1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionWT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
Page4Modes ofsupply: 1)Cross-border supply 2)Consumption abroad 3)Commercial presence 4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsub-sector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
F. Other Business Services
(a) Advertising
(b) Market research
(e) Technical testing
(s) Convention1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asinthe
horizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except inthe
horizontal section
2. COMMUNICATION SERVICES
B. Courier Services 1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
3. CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED ENGINEERING SERVICES
A. General construction
work forbuildings
B. General construction
work forcivil
engineering1)None
2)None
3)Only forprojects of$10
million andmore
4)Unbound, except asindicated
inthehorizontal section1)None
2)None
3)None, except asindicated under
limitations onmarket access
4)Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
C. Installation and
assembly work
D. Building completion
andfinishing work
E. OtherWT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
Page5Modes ofsupply: 1)Cross-border supply 2)Consumption abroad 3)Commercial presence 4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsub-sector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
5. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
B. Secondary education
services
C. Higher education
services1) None
2) None
3) Subject toapproval from the
Ministry ofEducation
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
6. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
A. Sewage services
B. Refuse disposal services
C. Sanitation andsimilar
services1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section.1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
7. FINANCIAL SERVICES
B. Banking andother
financial services
(excluding insurance)
(a) Acceptance ofdeposits
andother repayable
funds forthepublic
(b) Lending ofalltypes,
including, interalia,
consumer credit,
mortgage credit,
factoring andfinancing
ofcommercial
transaction1) Unbound
2) None
3) Only forBanks incorporated in
Oman, andsubject tolicence
from theCentral Bank of
Oman. Number ofBank
branches inMuscat limited to
fourforeachBank1) Unbound
2) None
3) None
4) Number offoreign persons
limited to5%ofthetotal
number ofemployees ofabank
orafinancial service company4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal sectionWT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/4
Page6Modes ofsupply: 1)Cross-border supply 2)Consumption abroad 3)Commercial presence 4)Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orsub-sector Limitations onmarket access Limitations onnational treatment Additional commitments
8. HEALTH AND RELATED SOCIAL SERVICES
A. Hospital services 1) None
2) None
3) Only forhospitals ofmore than
50beds, subject toapproval
from theMinistry ofHealth
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None, except asindicated under
limitations onmarket access
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section
9. TOURISM &RELATED SERVICES
A. Hotels andrestaurants
B. Tour operators services
(excluding travel
agencies)1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section1) None
2) None
3) None
4) Unbound, except asindicated in
thehorizontal section