MUSCAT // Hundreds of Omanis on Thursday staged the first demonstration in the country since 2011, calling for a government cap on fuel prices, saying the rising cost of petrol was eating into their pay cheques.
The cost of petrol at the pump has increased by almost 75 per cent since the government scrapped its fixed-price policy in January last year, from 120 Omani baisa (Dh1.14) per litre for super petrol to 196 baisa in February. Prices are adjusted monthly based on international crude oil prices.
The 2011 protests were against corruption but this time people were voicing worries over how to make ends meet.
“The high petrol prices are eating away our salaries. Petrol prices go up every month. The government needs to consider our situation. Not all of us can afford such uncertainties. Electricity and water bills have also gone up and we are getting the same monthly pay,” said Khalifa Al Humaid, a civil servant, one of the protesters.
He was among about 500 people who demonstrated outside the ministry of oil and gas, some of them carrying placards that said: “The government must rise our salaries” and “200 baisa is too much.”
The cabinet decided to remove energy subsidies on January 15 last year in a bid to offset mounting budget deficits after crude oil prices tumbled to as low as US$27 – their lowest since November 2003 – from about $120 per barrel in 2014. Crude prices have recovered since and currently stand at about $52 a barrel.
Electricity and water consumption were among the casualties of price increases as subsidies on those utilities were also cancelled at the same time, in January last year. Charges for both went up by about 40 per cent.
Fareed Al Hubaishi, an electrical engineer who was at the protest, urged the government to put a cap on petrol prices and stop the price uncertainty.
“We understand the government cannot scrap the energy subsidies because of the economic situation but it has to keep the petrol prices constant at a reasonable level so we know exactly how to budget our domestic expenditure. A fixed price of 150 baisa per litre is what I think would be a fair price,” Mr Al Hubaishi said.
Oman produces about 980,000 barrels per day of crude and depends heavily on oil revenues, which make up 83 per cent of its total income.
According to the ministry of finance, Oman earned an average of only $39 per barrel last year, compared to $66 a year earlier. With a budget deficit of 5.3 billion riyals (Dh50.6bn) in 2016, Oman has already announced plans for borrowings worth 2.5 billion riyals from domestic and international markets.
Other protesters said the government should increase salaries if it was determined to keep floating petrol prices.
“I get only 740 riyals a month. I have three children. I drive about 80 kilometres a day up and down, to my office and back home. Before the price rise, my petrol bill was about 60 riyals a month. I estimate this month it will be about 100 riyals – almost double what it was,” said Abdulrahim Al Hajri, a primary schoolteacher.
“Our salaries need to go up to keep up with this inflation otherwise it will be hard to keep up with costs.”
Officials at the ministry of finance and the ministry of oil and gas could not be reached for comment.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
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T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
Fast%20X
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
SPEC%20SHEET
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km