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Man in a hurry

Khalil al Khonji, the new chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), wants to take the apex body to new heights
Mayank Singh

What was your first reaction on being appointed as the chairman of this august body?
I feel greatly honoured to be appointed as the chairman of OCCI by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Though I have had 20 years of experience in the private sector, I feel this is a much greater responsibility. Over the years the private sector in Oman has grown tremendously and as the chairman of OCCI, one acts as an interface between business and the government. I hope to achieve this with the help of the board of directors of the chamber. The board comprises 15 elected members and six directors who are appointed by the chamber. Apart from the board, I look forward to getting help from businesspersons from all sectors in the sultanate.

What are your plans for the chamber?
In my first speech to the board of directors on July 9, I spelt out a ten-point agenda for the chamber. We have started work in this direction and hope to realise these goals. With Oman's economy opening up with the signing of the Oman-US Free Trade Agreement, there is a need to bring new ideas in line with the global systems and regulations into OCCI. The eight branches of the chamber in various wilayats will be given more flexibility in their operations. There will be realignment of committees and the inoperative ones will be merged with others. We invite business leaders from all nationalities to apply for joining these committees. Till now these were open only to Omanis. A translation of all official documents will be available in English making it easier for non-nationals to work in these committees.

The association between the government and the private sector will be strengthened. The IT infrastructure of the chamber will be upgraded to bring in new efficiencies. For example, a new automated system will help companies to renew their commercial registration from their offices.

There will be a greater emphasis on foreign investment. We hope to attract more FDI, which in turn will create more jobs for nationals. The chamber will help the SME sector and lend its support to government programmes like Sanad that encourages entrepreneurship. We will encourage research and development (R&D) work, as it is important for the long-term growth of the country. Agriculture and fisheries sector has been identified as a priority area by the chamber. Finally, the chamber will promote Omani products in a variety of ways. We plan to hold exhibitions for such products both in Oman and in other countries helping them to increase their visibility and business.

Are there any plans to market the chamber differently?
We are working on giving the chamber a brand new image. An image task force has been set up for bringing about a change in the way OCCI is marketed and to give it a new look. The task force will also give ideas on improving the services being offered by the chamber. We think that with more investment coming into the sultanate both from local and foreign investors we need to be prepared and so it is the right time to go in for a rebranding exercise. We would like the chamber to function more like a company than a government department. We hope to achieve this shift.

Industry leaders have often said that there needs to be more co-operation between the private sector and government.
I assure you that the chairman and board of directors of OCCI will be there for the private sector whenever needed. We will function as a bridge between the government and the corporate sector. I know that the private sector has been asking for more services and they have a right to do so. We will help the private sector in their dealings with all departments of the government so that things are easier for businesses. If anyone has a genuine problem they can approach me directly.

You are just back from a trip to Germany. What was the purpose of your visit?
There is an annual meeting of the Arab Chamber of Commerce and the German Chamber of Commerce to promote products from the region in Germany and German products amongst Arab countries. Every year a guest of honour country is chosen from the MENA region. Algiers was the guest of honour this year. I hope that Oman will be invited as the guest of honour at the meeting to be held in June 2008. Through this interview in Business Today, I ask for the support and co-operation of my colleagues in the private sector for this. It will give us a chance to promote Oman and the investment opportunities here. There will be workshops and speeches regarding all the sectors in which a potential for co-operation between Germany and Oman exists. I welcome all ideas for this meeting and look forward to hearing from the private sector.

Another initiative that we are looking forward to is organising a Gulf Investment Conference in Oman in January 2008. The conference will concentrate on attracting investment in Oman. It will see participation of the leading businessmen from the region. The conference will thereafter be held in any one of the Gulf countries each year, but the meeting will start from Oman. We hope to work together in presenting Oman as an attractive investment destination.