Muscat: Eliminating the use of plastic bags is one of the major challenges the authorities around the world are confronted with. Plastic bags represent a great burden on the environment because they are non-degradable in nature. Plastic products and bags do not rust. They remain in the environment and soil for long periods, perhaps hundreds of years. They also stunts plant growth by blocking the sun and air and harms both wild and domestic animals by blocking the digestive tract or respiratory system. In addition, its use in carrying hot foodstuffs produces carcinogenic dioxin, and burning plastics pollutes the air with toxic gases and fumes.
Oman too is working towards reducing its dependency on single-use plastics that are responsible for thousands of marine animals getting killed each year by ingesting plastic or getting tangled in it.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) has recently issued a ministerial decision banning the import of plastic bags, effective from January 1, 2023.
The decision will not affect local plastic bag factories, rather it will be an opportunity for them to increase their production capacity to cover the domestic market shortfall, increase their sales and income, and limit the unfair competition from imported products that do not meet the environmental standards and the Omani specifications for single-use bags.
With this ban, the MoCIIP, through its cooperation with the Environment Authority, aims to move from the current plastic-intensive industries to environmentally friendly industries in the future.
Engineer Sami bin Salem al Sahib, General Director of Industry at the MoCIIP, said the decision to ban the import of plastic bags comes within the ministry’s plans to organise the market with regard to importing materials and goods that harm the Omani environment and is part of the comprehensive plan agreed upon by the ministry with the Environment Authority.
Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Omari, Head of the Environment Authority, confirmed that the earlier decision to ban plastic bags has not been reversed, adding that, several steps have been taken to support that decision, including, issuance of a standard for single-use plastic, which gives local factories a chance to stay in business and meet their financial obligations.
The MoCIIP seeks, through the implementation of this decision to ban the import of plastic bags, to protect the environment and the wildlife that abounds in the Sultanate of Oman.
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