Muscat municipality to control and follow up mobile vendors in the Governorate
By: Bushra Al-Busaidiyah
Muscat municipality is making strenuous efforts to control the random sale of mobile vendors through inspection campaigns in the public, neighbourhood and residential areas, shops, factories, etc. In order to ensure the health and safety measurments are complied.
Mobile vendors
Mobile vendors are known to be people who sell their wares in a random manner, in unspecified locations that violate regulations and laws. This phenomena has spread dramatically in various locations in Muscat Governorate.
Potential risk
The phenomenon negatively affects the regulated domestic economy as it constitutes unequal competition with legal traders licensed by the municipality. In addition to the randomness it cause by setting stalls and carts in unhealthy environment and the risk of selling rotten foodstuff which harms public health. Most food poisoning cases occur from the poor food storage in places that do not meet the approved health requirements, causing serious pathological symptoms to consumers.
The regulation on Mobile Cafe activity:
Muscat municipality has issued a decision to amend certain provisions of the health requirements regulations for public health-related activities, which includes decision No. 185/2017) adding an item to the health requirements regulations for the practice of a mobile café, which included four main articles, clarifying the requirements of the site, The vehicle on which the Mobile café activity is located, the requirements of the licensee to engage in the activity, and authorized foods.
The municipality has also coordinated with various government bodies (Ministry of Trade and Industry and the public authority for the development of small and med-size enterprises, the municipal council of Muscat Governorate) to find solutions and proposals to address the phenomenon of mobile vendors. Muscat Municipality has distributed circulars and publications to street vendors to organize their sites, extract the necessary licenses and implement health requirements for the practice of these activities.