Both expatriates and residents have demanded hike in their salaries to compensate for rising fuel prices because it hits their budget.
“This influx affects us as a nation. In my opinion, I think its best that there is a fixed amount and appropriate for the people. When the price goes up and down, it affects us. Even our customers, when they get in the taxi, they ask us ‘who are you to raise the cost?’ We were hoping to have the same price as before, which isn’t going to happen. I think it should be at least 150 baisas for the regular petrol and 160 baisas for the higher grade. If they can’t do that, then they should raise our salaries to compensate.”
Abduallah Al Hamdani, Taxi cab driver
“Some people don’t have enough funds, and when they go to the petrol station they don’t always know if they will have enough funds. We are running a rental car company, and it’s an issue. Expats are affected by this as well, since it is mostly expats who catch taxis.”
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Sunil Anandan, Business Development Manager for Opal Stones Trading
“My salary is weak; I get OMR313 every month. I eat from outside, I pay for services on the car, I give my family money, it’s all very expensive on such a low salary. There are so many expensive and I am facing a lot of difficulty. If they are going to raise the gas price, then they should raise my salary to compensate. We’re in the private sector, and I think they’re rushing it.”
Mubarek Al Lahsani, from Wilayat Muttrah, Driver
“It’s supposed to be that if the government takes away from one place, they should cover it somewhere else. There should be a balance in salaries. They are just working out the checks and balances but it has backfired instead of benefiting us like it should have. Honestly, petrol is very expensive.”
Fahad Mahmood Al Lahsani, HR Manager at Dar Al Handasa Consulting Co.
“I don’t think we can manage to increase people’s income. Our regular work is dependent on petrol, I used to put in around OMR20 per week for petrol and now I put in around OMR42 per week. It would be a big problem for me because I cannot reduce my trips, they are for work. How much of our salary can they hike? There’s a global crisis in petrol, if you hike the salary, then the company is at a loss, and then there will be another crisis.”
Sunil Puliyappatta, Marketing Manager at Gulf Star LLC
Source: TimesOfOman