Muscat: Starting July 1, 2023, the Sultanate of Oman has announced a number of customs and tax incentives and facilities, to encourage the acquisition of emission-free electric cars in support of achieving zero neutrality in the transportation sector.
The facilities and incentives adopted by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman include exemption of electric cars by (100%) from customs tax and from electric vehicle registration fees at the Royal Oman Police, in addition to setting the value-added tax rate for electric cars and their spare parts to (0%). These incentives can be applied for a period of 3 years, subject to extension, and shall be effective from July 1, 2023.
These incentives are expected to encourage citizens and residents to own electric vehicles (EV) by reducing the initial cost, and support the electric vehicle sector, ensure diversity in vehicle types and prices in the Omani market.
The Sultanate recently issued a bylaw to regulate the activity of charging electric vehicles and the technical requirements for connecting charging stations and devices to the network, adopting a tariff for electric vehicle charging points and allowing this aspect for private investment in Oman.
In addition, the government has also identified the number of electric cars targeted within the government plans to replace traditional cars. Oman is adopting and applying standard specifications for the technical requirements of electric vehicles.