Muscat: The Sultanate’s Ministry of Finance has taken a big decision on advance leave salaries for Government and public sector employees.

In a decision issued on Tuesday [April 20], the ministry said that it had issued a circular to Government and ministry units to stop paying advance salaries to their employees for annual leave.

While it isn’t understood immediately if the decision is permanent, the Ministry stated that the new action was taken in light of activating a new e-salary transfer system.

The circular reads: “In the process activating the electronic salary transfer system, the Ministry of Finance has instructed all ministries and government units to stop paying salaries to their staff as advance for annual leaves.

“The system aims to accelerate and facilitate the transactions of salaries and other incentives, as well as enhancing internal controls.

“In coordination with all ministries and government units, the Ministry of Finance has successfully completed in last March the application of e-banking for salary transfers,” the circular added.