Muscat: Sulayem Ali Al Hakmani, Chairman of the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA), has said that the GCC Unified Law (system) on Combating Commercial Deception, issued under Royal Decree No. 54/2021, consolidates the legal setup for the protection of the Sultanate’s markets against harmful practices.

Al Hakmani told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the statute creates balance in the exchange of goods across all stages and provides necessary protection, both for the merchants and consumers in the Sultanate’s market.

He pointed out that markets that harbour harmful practices, like commercial deception and other violations, constitute repugnant climates shunned by investors. This law, he explained, has been enacted to provide more confidence among all business partners.

Al Hakmani added that the law emerged in the implementation of visions of GCC leaders about measures to unify joint action and prevent procedural redundancy, while at the same time monitoring the exchange of commodities in a safe GCC market.

The Consumer Authority will not be the only party to implement the law, said Al Hakmani, adding that the Royal decree (under which the law was issued) states that other executive partners include employees designated as “Judicial Inspectors”: Employees of the specialized “Authority” and the ministries of “Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion”, “Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources”, “Health” and other departments concerned, in accordance with the laws and Royal Decrees awarding such officials the designation/mission of ‘judicial inspection’ as regards crimes stated in the attached law/system that are related to their job tasks.