Muscat: A decision by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to regulate the import of used vehicles and motorbikes has become a sensation on social media platforms.
Omanis have launched a hashtag on Twitter titled “against the ministry of commerce decision”.
Omanis say that such a decision is in the interests of traders and businessmen — not the consumer, calling for the application of other means to regulate the market.
Ali Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, issued a decision banning the import of private vehicles older than seven years.
While Omanis can import an unlimited number of used vehicles in a year under those rules, non-Omanis can only import one vehicle, using their civil number.
Ahmad Al Mashani, a national, said that Omanis with a salary that does not exceed 500 rials (Dh4,770) cannot afford to buy new vehicles.
He added that many low–income Omani youths flock to used vehicles markets in neighbouring countries as these have many good deals.
Another national, Naseeb Al Hashemi, said that such a decision is another step towards the monopolisation of the local car industry.
Salim Al Qasabi, a blogger, pointed out that “simple Omanis” will be affected by the decision, “not high-ranking government officials”, speculating that the hand of merchants and the business lobby was behind the decision.
When contacted, an official at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry told Gulf News that such decision came into being after many GCC countries banned the import of used vehicles less than five year old.
The official added that importing old used vehicles had led to many road accidents in Omani roads, resulted in many fatalities.
Meanwhile, the number of imported vehicles from neighbouring countries, mostly from the UAE, stood at more than 85,000 vehicles in 2014, an official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), told Gulf News.
The official added that the new decision could lead to a remarkable drop in the number of imported vehicles.
