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Oman - Council of Ministers

Article 44 identifies the Council of Ministers as the 'body in charge of implementing the state's general policies', and defines its duties specifically as:

• Making recommendations to the Sultan on political, economic, social, executive, and administrative issues.
• Putting forward draft laws and decrees.
• Improving the economy, society, culture, and health care for all citizens.
• Defining general targets for administrative, social, and economic development.
• Suggesting the necessary means and measures for implementing the above. This stipulation is in case there is a difference between an idea and the feasibility of achieving it. So, for the purpose of succeeding in meeting set targets, there should by study of the available means to achieve them, and their possibilities.

This text is built on the rule that says the target itself paves the way to achieve it, stated specifically in the Basic Law: 'General targets and policies of development should look within for the necessary means and measures to achieve the set aims', done ideally by employing financial, economic, and human resources.

• Discuss development plans prepared by specialised bodies, and submit them to the Sultan for approval and follow up.
• Discuss proposals put forward by the ministries, and make suitable decisions in this regard.
• Supervise the functioning of the state's administrative apparatus, follow up its performance, and ensure coordination between various units of the apparatus. This is the reason for identifying the administrative apparatus as the executive, as it shoulders the responsibility of the success of the overall plans of the state, and furthermore, each of the units works directly for a ministry.

Hence, Article 44, which stipulates that the Council of Ministers is responsible for the actions of the administrative apparatus, whose duties include:

• General supervising of the implementation of laws, decrees, resolutions, treaties, agreements, and verdicts issued by court to ensure their enforcement.
• As a precaution against the emergence of new duties at later stages of the Renaissance, it was stated in the end of the above article that amongst the duties of the Council of Ministers are 'any other powers given to it by the Sultan or by law'.

In the remainder of the articles of this chapter there is a description of the qualities and conditions required to head the cabinet or any ministry. It clarifies the specialised councils, their duties and powers, particularly on tax, duties, and other public funds collection and management, all subject to the rules of law. They also shoulder the responsibility of drawing the state's budgets, closing accounts, and further issues clarified in Articles 56 and 57 of Chapter Four.