Ministry cautions learners against use of fraud certificates in Oman

Muscat: Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) has asked learners in Oman to check the credentials of institutes before applying for scholarships at some local academies or training centres, which provide certificates from foreign countries, as some are not approved by the ministry’s Department of Qualifications and Recognition.
An official from MoHE also said the ministry is planning to make equivalence certificates mandatory for expatriates too. Currently, the curbs are for Omani nationals only.
“This move is to protect companies from people who provide fake certificates, and companies in Oman have shown positive response,” the ministry official told the Times of Oman.
He added that workers in the private and government sectors, who find employment using fake certificates, can cause serious problems for their companies and the public.
“Just imagine if the worker happened to be an engineer or a doctor,” he said, adding that such acts happen in many parts of the world and that the Sultanate is mulling whether it should enforce stricter rules to protect people from such scams.
According to MoHE’s Twitter handle, equivalence certificates will be given to holders of academic degrees, such as a Diploma, Bachelors, Higher Education Diploma, Masters or a PhD.
Vocational certificates, such as training courses and high school degrees, will not be eligible for equivalence certificates.