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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Have bilingual bills or face action

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By Kabeer Yousuf — MUSCAT: March 26 - All retail outlets in Oman have been asked to provide a copy of bills in two languages to the customers to comprehend the whereabouts of the purchase of a product. All bills, invoices and receipts for goods or services transacted between the traders, retail outlets, other commercial outlets including restaurants should provide a bilingual bill (Arabic and English), if not just in Arabic. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) urged the retail outlets to abide by the rule so as discrepancies arising out of suspected wrong billing can be kept at bay, sources confirmed.


“Having the bills and other proofs of purchase of goods or services in Arabic is stipulated by the Consumer Protection Law amended in 2014 based on the Royal Decree No 66/2014 and various articles of the law instruct all to abide by the same,” a highly placed source at the PACP told the Observer.


Article 15 of the law says that the consumer shall be entitled to obtain an invoice written in Arabic language proving the purchase of the commodity or the receipt of the service and the invoice shall include the basic information about the commodity or the service and any other information as determined by the regulations. Article 5 has cleared that for any commodity or service that can cause damage to the consumer or the consumer’s property upon use; a clear and specific warning must be given in Arabic and English.


The warning shall indicate the correct method to use the commodity or service and means of remedying any damage that may result from such use and in accordance with the regulations.


Along with the bills and invoices, all product labels, list of services provided, precautionary notice served to the clients or displayed publicly, do’s and don’t’s of a product or service need to be in both languages just as the contracts and agreements are supposed to be prepared, it is learnt.


A circular to this effect was served to various retail firms in the country some time ago and were asked to follow the rule within a stipulated period of time. “We have issued a circular more than a year ago instructing all commercial establishments that are providing products or services or both to have their bills and all proofs of transactions in two languages,” a source at the ministry said.


The authorities concerned have begun inspection of premises of establishments to ensure that the rule is followed by the traders. “These stern punishments will be according to the Article 39 of the law which says ‘Without prejudice to any stiffer penalty stipulated under the Omani Penal Law or any other law”.


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