Oman's new parliament law shrouds budget talks in secrecy

FILE PHOTO: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat, Oman January 11, 2020. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani/

DUBAI (Reuters) - Oman has introduced a new law for parliament stipulating that state budget talks and the questioning of ministers should be carried out in secret, reducing transparency as the indebted state tries to tackle its creaking finances and shore up the economy.

Since assuming power a year ago, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said has overhauled government and state entities and begun pushing through sensitive fiscal reforms such as reductions in subsidies and the introduction of a value-added tax, which had dragged down his predecessor the late Sultan Qaboos.