Monday 06 / May / 2024
Muscat: The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) has seized hundreds of unlicensed natural herbal commodities at a commercial establishment in Al Dhahirah Governorate.
As part of the authority's efforts to preserve the safety and health of the consumer, the Consumer Protection Department in Ibri, Al-Dhahirah seized more than 800 unlicensed natural herbal commodities, sold in a store that specialises in selling said herbs. Judicial control officers in the department made field visits to the Governorate’s markets to ensure that commercial establishments adhere to the Consumer Protection Law, its executive regulations, and administrative decisions.
The herb commodities, which numbered at a total of about 803, were manufactured in the form of pills and ointments with medical claims. They were seized for not having the necessary licenses and approvals from the authorities, thus not fulfilling the requirements for trading them in the market, which is considered a violation of Administrative Resolution No. (254/2015). The resolution prohibits trading or advertising any natural herbs or plant extracts with nutritional or medicinal uses without approval from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and the Ministry of Health.
As a result, a record of the incident was issued, and the prohibited items were confiscated in preparation for their destruction.
A fine stipulated in line with an administrative decision was also imposed. According to the decision, any violators of the provisions shall be punished with a fine of OMR 200. The fine will be doubled in the event of a repeat violation. If the violation continues, an additional fine of OMR 50 shall be imposed per day, provided that its total does not exceed OMR 2,000.
The authority calls on merchants wishing to trade and sell such products to register them, and obtain the necessary licenses for each product separately from the concerned authorities. It also confirms that it will not hesitate to arrest any violators, in the name of preserving public interest and consumer protection.
