Muscat: In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Judiciary Council has announced a revision of fees related to courts, public prosecution departments, and notary public services, which includes both reductions and the introduction of new fees.
This initiative is part of the third phase of the government's project aimed at pricing services effectively.
A total of 25 fees were reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Council, resulting in 14 reductions, the cancellation of 5 fees, and the introduction of 6 new fees.
The objective of this pricing review is to promote access to litigation, enhance judicial efficiency, ensure high-quality services for beneficiaries, and improve the overall business environment.
Dr. Majid bin Mubarak Al-Saeedi from the Supreme Judicial Council stated, “The revision of the pricing structure for our services aligns with the Ministry of Finance’s efforts to implement a unified and transparent fee system for government services. This approach aims to balance cost, service quality, and competitiveness while simplifying the process of accessing these services.”
He further noted that the review led to the elimination of five specific fees, including those for judicial enforcement orders, certificates of rulings, certificates of rehabilitation, document authentication by notaries, and transportation fees for notaries assisting individuals unable to visit the office, such as patients, inmates, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
A new system known as "slices" has been introduced, which simplifies the process of unifying lawsuit fees across initial litigation and appeal stages. This system determines fees based on the financial value of the claims involved. In cases with multiple requests, the total fee is calculated by summing the individual request fees.
The slice system enhances the accuracy and transparency of fee calculations and is integrated with the new electronic "Qada" portal, where the fee payment procedures are automated based on the lawsuit requests.
Moreover, this system accelerates the litigation process by alleviating the judges' burden of estimating lawsuit fees.
It was emphasized that the new system has considerably lowered lawsuit fees compared to the previous framework, promoting access to litigation for small and medium-sized enterprises. This review of the Supreme Council’s fees aligns with the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to improving the global standing of its judiciary, enhancing the business environment, and attracting investment to foster continuous growth in the business sector, while ensuring the provision of high-quality judicial services that are balanced with the associated costs.
