Laws Regulating Markets and Businesses



When it comes to regulations of markets anad businesses, Muscat Municipality adopts a clear approach in this. The legal provisions were set to maintain order and regulate the business environment in commercial establishments spread over Muscat governorate. The following articles are some of the regulations.

The local order no. (1/2001 ) regarding the regulation of markets in Muscat Governorate is explained in Article (3), provided that the municipality determines the times which when shops are closed in the markets when necessary, with the exception of pharmacies licensed by the Ministry of Health. Article (4) also stipulates that no person may offer or sell goods or commodities except after obtaining the necessary licenses from the municipality and other competent authorities. Article (5) also stipulates that it is not allowed to leave an individual`s means of transport in front of shops in the markets or their corridors for a longer period of time, and in case of violating of this, the municipality takes measures to eliminate the causes of the violation.

Article (10) stipulates that the municipality may transfer ongoing activities or some of them to other markets, if necessary, provided that it informs the owners of these activities of the need to do so within one year from the date of their warning in writing, and they must do what they have warned during the period given to them.

Article (11) stipulates that the concerned municipality shall be notified to remove any violation of the provisions of this order or the decisions issued in implementation thereof within one week from the date of notification, If he does not remove it during the period, she has the right to issue a decision to suspend him from practicing his activity temporarily for a period not exceeding three days during which he removes the reasons for the violation, otherwise it removes it at his expense without having the right to demand any compensation for the damages resulting from the removal, and without prejudice to the application of the text of Article (14) of this order, which indicates that anyone who commits a violation of the provisions of this order shall be punished with a fine not exceeding (25) Omani rials for the first and second violations, and a fine not exceeding (50) Omani riyals or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month or both penalties for each subsequent violation.

It is worth mentioning that the Muscat Municipality is keen to organize the markets in order to preserve the harmonious commercial character and heritage identity of those markets, in order to enhance commercial activities, and find the ingredients to increase their popularity and make them tourist and commercial destinations, which also works to raise the number of visitors, whether from inside or outside the Sultanate.
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