No need to hoard, all basic necessities are available in Oman: Ministry

Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has urged citizens and residents not to hoard items of basic need, as all commodities will be made available.

His Excellency Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Theeb, Undersecretary of MoCI said, “The commodities of basic needs and food products are available in all governorates of the Sultanate, shipping through sea and air outlets continues, and ports are ready.”

The working group on following up the economic aspects held a meeting yesterday to discuss many procedures to implement precautionary and preventive measures approved by the Supreme Committee in charge of dealing with coronavirus (COVID-19) developments. The meeting was chaired by Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Theeb, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and representatives of a number of competent government agencies were members of the group.

The team discussed the economic consequences resulting from the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the necessary measures to provide the basic goods and food products, as well as following up and facilitating the procedures for entering all food products through the various border outlets, in coordination with the private sector.

Al Theeb added that the “Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre will be equipped and allocated as a warehouse in case some companies wish to store basic commodities and there is no space for their products in their warehouses.”

He clarified that they are in coordination with the Omani Aviation Group and the Omani International Logistics Group to provide all services related to marine and air freight in all governorates of the Sultanate and the border areas, and that lines were being run for shipping to Musandam Governorate to prepare for any shortage of basic needs.

The team leader of the working group said that the General Authority for Consumer Protection is monitoring prices in the local market and implement the legal procedures against whoever is found raising the prices.

Mubarak Al Dohani, Director General of Commerce at the Ministry said, “the Ministry has decided to postpone the annual ordinary general assemblies of closed joint stock companies whose financial year ended on December 31 2019 and to suspend permits for exhibitions, conferences and seminars until the end of June 2020.”

Al Dohani added that the situation will be evaluated during the aforementioned period in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Committee.