MUSCAT, APRIL 4
Muscat Municipality announced that it is in the process of designating and reallocating sites for mobile vending businesses in the governorate.
In an interview with Radio Oman, Director of the Service Development Department at the Municipality, Sulaiman bin Mohammed al Hinai, shared, “Muscat Municipality has identified numerous sites throughout Muscat Governorate, ensuring that they are distant from residential areas, away from main roads, and not in commercial areas where similar activities are carried out.”
He added, “The Municipality of Muscat is working to provide other sites in the coming period.”
According to Al Hinai, the main reasons behind this decision include complaints received from residents of neighbourhoods where mobile vendors ply their trade, mobile vendors operating through late hours of the night, and occupying spaces that hinder other authorities from performing their duties.
However, some mobile vendors are wary of this new decision.
According to Mohammed al Mandhri, the general manager of a mobile food business in Al Athaiba, location is everything for a food cart vendor like him.
“We have already built a base here over almost 20 years. So will it be worth it for us to move (to a new location identified by the Municipality?
Will be new location have required support facilities for our activities?
Is the Municipality going to provide us with electricity and water, or do we have to fend for ourselves by bringing our own water and using our own generators? If not, then a relocation won’t be worth it for us — It will just be a waste of time.”
Furthermore, designated mobile vending sites can add to already intense business competition, Al Mandhri warns.
“We already have huge competition in this area .... so if we have a bigger area the chance of getting more customers will be less.”
Nevertheless, the entrepreneur is hopeful that the new sites will be suitably furnished with, for example, seating areas for customers as well as water and electricity supplies for vendors.
“Seating areas are the most important, because we are not allowed to have seating areas here by law. In addition to electrical supply for our [equipment], and water, the site and its surroundings should be clean as well. This is important.”
Younus al Wahaibi, the owner of a mobile food business in Al Amerat, agrees. “We are not allowed to have tables and chairs. But people travelling from afar would prefer to sit and eat in a proper dining area,” he shared.
In light of the upcoming changes, the Municipality has urged mobile vendors to abide by the laws and regulations and to rectify any breaches within a period of one month.
“... Licensed mobile vendors should speedily reconcile their conditions in accordance with the health controls and requirements stipulated in the Ministerial Decision No. 241/2016 issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, which relates to the issuance of the regulation of the organisation of mobile vendors, and to comply with the provisions of Muscat Municipality resolutions No. 185/2017 and administrative resolution No. 219/2019, within a period not exceeding one month from the date of issuing this announcement,” it said in a statement.
According to the statement, the most common breaches include the employment of non-Omanis, operating without a licence, and not adhering to health guidelines.
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