Team formed to study methods to curb illicit trade, multiple commercial registers in Oman

Muscat: Qais bin Mohammed al-Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, today issued Ministerial Decision No. 183/2020 forming a working team to study the phenomenon of multiple commercial registers and trading.

Headed by Dr. Saleh bin Said Masan, Commerce and Industry Under-Secretary, the working team will have members from other authorities concerned who will assist the Ministry in its new approach to establishing a suitable investment environment that encourages firms to engage in business in the country.

The team will revise mechanisms to regulate the multiplicity of commercial registers and legalise and regulate the cancellation of lease contracts of commercial outlets by coordinating with the departments concerned. It will conduct field visits to sites and locations where expatriate workers operate. It will also lay down mechanisms to check the truth behind private businesses and follow up their commitment to Omanisation programmes and percentages. In addition, the team will check the existence of suitable residence for expats in accordance with regulations organising such lodgings.

The working team will devise proper mechanisms to curb illicit trade.

As part of the procedure, the team will organise meetings with representatives of private sector establishments and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to listen to their views and discuss their proposals about ways to solve the problem of multiplicity of commercial registers.