Can’t name guilty companies, says Public Authority for Consumer Protection in Oman

Muscat: Amidst a public campaign to name and shame companies responsible for supplying the market with spoiled food items, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) said in a statement posted on its Twitter account on Wednesday that naming companies does not fall under its jurisdiction.
After the PACP raided a company in Barka and seized 22 tonnes of rice deemed unfit for consumption, people on social media had called for naming companies found to be in violation of the rules.
Nasra bint Sultan Al Habsiya, head of the Legal Department at PACP, said this does not fall in the jurisdiction of the PACP.
“Some may think that this naming them (violators) is within the authority of the PACP, which was criticised for not revealing the names of the violators. We stress that the PACP works under legal regulations in a country guided by the law and that the Authority as an executive and monitoring party cannot work outside the domain of this legal system,” she said.
She further stated that Article 44 of the Consumer Protection Law rules that in case of a conviction, the court may publish a summary of the case in two newspapers, one of which should be in Arabic.
“Only the courts are authorised to publish cases related to consumer protection. Announcing the names of those convicted is only possible after the final conviction,” she said.
Al Habsiya added that the publication of names in newspapers and magazines before the issuing of court rulings and without permission from the respective court to do so is considered a violation of the Press and Publication Law.
“When such (information) is being published through social media, it is in violation of the anti-cybercrime law. The PACP adheres to applying the law while remaining in its jurisdiction,” she noted.