Oman’s Labour Ministry clarifies Wage Protection System guidelines for employers

MUSCAT : The Ministry has provided instructions on several key fields within the WPS system, underscoring the significance of ID Type and Identifier Number, Commercial Registration Number and Employment Contract.

The guidelines remind employers that the ‘Month and Year’ field should reflect the month in which the wages are due, not the month of payment. For example, if wages for December 2024 are transferred on January 2, 2025, they should be listed as December 2024. “This is the month the wages are due, not the month of payment,” it stated.

Regarding the ‘ID Type and Identifier Number’ field, the Ministry instructed employers to use the ‘Civil Number’ or the abbreviation used by the bank, such as ‘C’ or ‘Civil Number’, for Omani nationals.
For non-Omani residents, the Civil Number on their residence card should be used. “In rare cases where bank accounts are registered using a passport number (and the individual does not have a residence card), the code ‘P’ may be used, with the identifier value being the passport number,” the guideline explains.

The Ministry also highlighted the importance of including the employer’s Commercial Registration Number in the WPS system to ensure that wages are properly assigned to the correct employer. The ‘Employer CR Number’ field should contain this information for all employees listed in the file.

Further, under the ‘Employment Contract’ section, the Ministry states: “Ensure that employment contracts are in place for all workers in the establishment and that the wages transferred align with the contracts. Any additional allowances, overtime, or deductions must be specified in the relevant fields designated for this purpose.”