Oman made a rare decision to cut the salaries of new government employees, its latest austerity measure in response to the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices. The biggest Arab oil exporter outside OPEC assigned new salary grades for hires, as determined by qualifications. A PhD holder’s entry level salary would be reduced 23% to 1,035 rials ($2,689), while those with a bachelor’s degree would face a cut of 14% to 785 rials, the Civil Service Council said on Sunday. Oman last raised civil servants’ salaries in 2013.