Muscat Municipality to tighten control of public health related establishments
By: Bushra Al-Busaidiya.
Muscat municipality has paid a careful in the inspection of food and public health-related facilities. It is working continuously to follow up on various public health and food safety activities in markets to ensure that they have met sanitary conditions.
The inspection campaigns of the food control teams in Muscat Municipality are intended to create a healthy environment for the community & to ensure that health conditions have been considerably met.
Local Order No. (1/2006) of Muscat Municipality has determined the legislation & laws governing the control work on food establishments and health requirements in carrying out their activities. It also specifies the duties to be followed by the inspection teams.
Article (2) specifies that the Municipality has the right to close food establishments & public health stores directly in case of practicing an activity without a license, or any commercial fraud in food.
As well as poisoning or epidemic diseases result from food, non-compliance with health requirements, failure to remove health fines, or employment of infected workers with contagious diseases, or any that is determined by a competent authority like the Municipality
Articles (6.7) oblige maintaining clean places, disposing & throwing waste in a healthy manner. Article (32) prohibits trading spoiled, or corrupt or cheated, or harmful foodstuff, and that the Municipality has the right to destroy.
The municipality is continuously developing its health requirements as required by the recent developments on this aspect, The administrative Decision No. (168/2011) on the promulgation of health requirements regulations has identified public health-related activities, the health regulation has included all activities & requirements for building, electrical and water connections, and sanitation, hygiene, pest control, security and safety requirements, and as well as labor requirements, and within the framework of organising the municipal work and the conduct of business activities,
The municipality has also activated the application of administrative Decision No. (55/2017) on the determination of administrative sanctions for violations of Muscat Municipality which are related to the exercise of activity without a municipal licence un renewal of municipal licenses and irregularities of the workers, and shops irregularities (commercial, professional, industrial, recreational, health (and facilities), preventive health violations, environmental offences.
Unauthorized activitiesEmployee finesShops` Fines
Administrative sanctions for the exercise of an activity without obtaining a license, A fine of RO (300) has been fixed on unlicensed businesses and suspend them until the licence is extracted, plus a fine of RO (200) for the commercial shops when the license is not renewed, minor industrial activities are fined of RO (500), and the suspension until the license is extracted, while the slaughterhouses, poultry farms and animal sheds are penalized with a fine of RO (400) and suspension until the license is extracted, Factories, tourist facilities, shopping malls, warehouses and Shisha Cafes are fined OR (1,000), and suspension until the license is extracted, restaurants preparing banquets fined of RO (500) as well as the destruction of meals in case proven non-valid and suspension of work until the licence is extracted.
Employee fines
Employees practicing an activity without a valid health certificate issued by the competent authority with fined of RO (100), and the worker is suspended from work until health certificate is obtained. The worker who shows symptoms of illness or wounds shall also be liable to a fine of RO (200) and shall be suspended from work until his recovery. Practicing unhealthy habits while working, such as smoking are fined RO (100), a runaway worker during the inspection is fined of RO (200).
Shops` Fines
Non maintained and serviced shops are liable to a fine of RO (200) as well as a fine of OR (100) if no insect and pest control has been taken and if public cleanliness is not cared for, the cleanliness and ordering of the devices and instruments used are fined of OR (100) and shall be given a period of not more than 3 days to correct the offense.
Muscat municipality urges business owners to comply with the all health requirements and to monitor the health conditions of their employees. Citizens and residents can communicate on (1111) to make any observations or enquiries about these and other activities that are concerned with municipal work.