Don’t make false claims on sanitisers to lure customers: PACP

Muscat: Hand sanitiser manufacturers and suppliers in Oman have been asked by the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) to not publish misleading claims about their products, in order to attract more customers.
Any hand sanitiser would only receive permission to be displayed on shop shelves, once it had met all of the Ministry of Health’s requirements in terms of safety and the health benefits provided to people, PACP added.
A statement from PACP said, “Whether the hand sanitiser is in the form of gel or spray, it is important for all suppliers and manufacturers to adhere to the laws currently active in Oman, as well as fulfil all of these products in terms of formula, before they can be introduced to the local markets, so that the safety and health of the consumer is guaranteed, while using these products. The authority said that all products of this nature had “to stay away from false or misleading advertising targeted at customers who intended to buy such products, and to ensure the products kept the customer safe from harm, assuming it is used the way it should be.”
Those manufacturers and/or suppliers of sanitisers who have fallen foul of the ministry’s regulations have to ensure they begin following them once again within the next 14 days. Violations of this nature are punishable by the imprisonment of those who falsely market such goods, as well as a fine, which is in accordance with Royal Decree No. 66/2014, and the regulations regarding its putting into practice, which is governed by Ministerial Decision No. 77/2017.
“The authority would like to add that it will monitor the sale of sanitisers in the markets, through inspection campaigns and consumer feedback, after which it will accordingly enforce the laws on those found guilty of violating them,” added PACP.