TRA issues regulations for postal service licenses
Published: 06:10 AM,Oct 21,2024 | EDITED : 10:10 AM,Oct 21,2024
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued Decision 1152/2/19/2024-21 related to the Postal Services Regulation Law, which states that the authority alone shall be competent to issue the licenses necessary to practice the activity of providing postal services and related services, regardless of the means or technology used in providing them, such as the Express mail service and the last mile services or any other services.
The classification of the license for postal services will be the local international mail license and local mail license.
The following conditions must be met by anyone applying for a local international mail license: The license applicant must have three operating branches in at least three continents in the world. If the license applicant is Omani, it is sufficient for him to be a party to international bilateral agreements in at least three continents in the world.
The capital of the license applicant shall not be less than R500,000.
The amounts intended to be invested in the Sultanate of Oman within 3 years from the issuance of the license shall not be less than RO250,000, according to the business plan submitted by the license applicant.
The commercial register of the license applicant must be limited to the activity of providing postal services, related services, and services related to logistics activities.
The application for obtaining a local international mail license of these regulations shall be submitted on the form prepared for this purpose to the Authority, attaching the following documents and data: A copy of a valid commercial register, proof that the license applicant has operating branches in at least 3 continents in the world, or that he is a party to international bilateral agreements in at least 3 continents in the world, a copy of the financial solvency report, unconditional bank guarantee valid for the duration of the license issued by one of the banks licensed to operate in the Sultanate of Oman in favor of TRA, equivalent to 80 percent of twice the value of the license fee, receipt of payment of the prescribed fee and any other data or documents requested by the Authority.
The following conditions must be met by anyone applying for a local mail license: Omani ownership of shares shall not be less than 90%, and the capital of the license applicant shall not be less than RO25,000.
The commercial register of the license applicant must be limited to the activity of providing postal services, related services, and services related to logistics activities.
The Authority shall study the license application, after completing the necessary data and documents, and a report shall be prepared regarding it and submitted to the Chief Executive Officer to issue the decision. The Authority may cancel the application if any of the required documents are not completed within the period it determines.
The renewal of the local international mail license and the local mail license shall be subject to the same procedures stipulated in these regulations.
The postal service provider may request the suspension or cancellation of the license, provided that the request is submitted to the Authority 90 days before the scheduled date of suspension or cancellation, including the following: Reasons for requesting suspension or cancellation, a plan to fulfill its obligations towards the Authority and beneficiaries and notify them of this and mechanism for dealing with postal items deposited with it.
The Authority shall notify the postal service provider of the decision to suspend or cancel the license and shall set a deadline for him to liquidate his business related to the activity for which the license has been decided to be suspended or canceled, and shall also notify the relevant authorities of the aforementioned decision.
The postal service provider shall undertake to publish the decision to suspend or cancel at its own expense in two widely circulated daily newspapers, or by any other means of publication agreed upon with the Authority, and to notify all beneficiaries of this within one week from the date of notification of the decision.
In all cases, the postal service provider is obligated to fulfill its obligations towards the Authority and the beneficiaries of its services.
The Authority may assign another postal service provider to do so after selecting it from among at least two offers from among the postal service providers.
The postal service provider should have a special headquarters for receiving, sorting, and processing shipments in accordance with the submitted work plan.
Securing the warehouses he uses to store the shipments against any potential risks.
The company’s headquarters with all its departments should be in the Sultanate of Oman, including accounting and finance, human resources, operations, customer service center, and others.
It should provide the necessary facilities to enable persons with disabilities to obtain postal services and not collect the beneficiary’s data unless it is necessary to provide the service he requests, notifying the beneficiary of the purpose of collecting that data, and not using it except within the scope of the purpose for which it was collected.
It should allow the beneficiary to modify the address specified before sending or delivering the postal item to the beneficiary, provided that the proposed modification is within the scope of coverage of the postal service provider, and the modification request is free of charge unless it results in an increase in the value of the tariff due for the postal service.
The postal service provider is obligated to provide an automated system for recording, tracking, and billing shipment data within a period not exceeding one year from the date of issuance of the license.
The postal service provider shall be bound by all duties stipulated in the law, these regulations, and other decisions issued by the Authority, and the terms of the license issued to him, and in particular the following:
Allowing the Authority to access data in its systems to perform its tasks, under applicable laws and regulations.
The classification of the license for postal services will be the local international mail license and local mail license.
The following conditions must be met by anyone applying for a local international mail license: The license applicant must have three operating branches in at least three continents in the world. If the license applicant is Omani, it is sufficient for him to be a party to international bilateral agreements in at least three continents in the world.
The capital of the license applicant shall not be less than R500,000.
The amounts intended to be invested in the Sultanate of Oman within 3 years from the issuance of the license shall not be less than RO250,000, according to the business plan submitted by the license applicant.
The commercial register of the license applicant must be limited to the activity of providing postal services, related services, and services related to logistics activities.
The application for obtaining a local international mail license of these regulations shall be submitted on the form prepared for this purpose to the Authority, attaching the following documents and data: A copy of a valid commercial register, proof that the license applicant has operating branches in at least 3 continents in the world, or that he is a party to international bilateral agreements in at least 3 continents in the world, a copy of the financial solvency report, unconditional bank guarantee valid for the duration of the license issued by one of the banks licensed to operate in the Sultanate of Oman in favor of TRA, equivalent to 80 percent of twice the value of the license fee, receipt of payment of the prescribed fee and any other data or documents requested by the Authority.
The following conditions must be met by anyone applying for a local mail license: Omani ownership of shares shall not be less than 90%, and the capital of the license applicant shall not be less than RO25,000.
The commercial register of the license applicant must be limited to the activity of providing postal services, related services, and services related to logistics activities.
The Authority shall study the license application, after completing the necessary data and documents, and a report shall be prepared regarding it and submitted to the Chief Executive Officer to issue the decision. The Authority may cancel the application if any of the required documents are not completed within the period it determines.
The renewal of the local international mail license and the local mail license shall be subject to the same procedures stipulated in these regulations.
The postal service provider may request the suspension or cancellation of the license, provided that the request is submitted to the Authority 90 days before the scheduled date of suspension or cancellation, including the following: Reasons for requesting suspension or cancellation, a plan to fulfill its obligations towards the Authority and beneficiaries and notify them of this and mechanism for dealing with postal items deposited with it.
The Authority shall notify the postal service provider of the decision to suspend or cancel the license and shall set a deadline for him to liquidate his business related to the activity for which the license has been decided to be suspended or canceled, and shall also notify the relevant authorities of the aforementioned decision.
The postal service provider shall undertake to publish the decision to suspend or cancel at its own expense in two widely circulated daily newspapers, or by any other means of publication agreed upon with the Authority, and to notify all beneficiaries of this within one week from the date of notification of the decision.
In all cases, the postal service provider is obligated to fulfill its obligations towards the Authority and the beneficiaries of its services.
The Authority may assign another postal service provider to do so after selecting it from among at least two offers from among the postal service providers.
The postal service provider should have a special headquarters for receiving, sorting, and processing shipments in accordance with the submitted work plan.
Securing the warehouses he uses to store the shipments against any potential risks.
The company’s headquarters with all its departments should be in the Sultanate of Oman, including accounting and finance, human resources, operations, customer service center, and others.
It should provide the necessary facilities to enable persons with disabilities to obtain postal services and not collect the beneficiary’s data unless it is necessary to provide the service he requests, notifying the beneficiary of the purpose of collecting that data, and not using it except within the scope of the purpose for which it was collected.
It should allow the beneficiary to modify the address specified before sending or delivering the postal item to the beneficiary, provided that the proposed modification is within the scope of coverage of the postal service provider, and the modification request is free of charge unless it results in an increase in the value of the tariff due for the postal service.
The postal service provider is obligated to provide an automated system for recording, tracking, and billing shipment data within a period not exceeding one year from the date of issuance of the license.
The postal service provider shall be bound by all duties stipulated in the law, these regulations, and other decisions issued by the Authority, and the terms of the license issued to him, and in particular the following:
Allowing the Authority to access data in its systems to perform its tasks, under applicable laws and regulations.