Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion issued a ministerial decision prohibiting the import of plastic bags. The decision is set to take effect on January 1, 2023.
According to Sami bin Salem Al Sahib, Director General of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, the decision to ban the import of plastic bags is part of the ministry’s plans to organize the market in terms of importing materials and goods that harm the Omani environment, and it is part of the comprehensive plan agreed upon by the ministry and the Environment Agency.
The decision will help Omani businesses by limiting unfair competition from imported products that do not meet environmental standards, Al Sahib added. He noted that the ministry is working with the Environment Agency to transition from current plastic industries to environmentally friendly industries in the future.
Moreover, Al Sahib emphasized that the decision will have no effect on local plastic bag factories, but will help them increase their production capacity to cover the local market, as well as contribute to the increase in sales of local factories specialized in plastic industries.
In June, Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality issued restrictions on the use of plastic bags, further to the ministerial resolution that bans institutions, companies, and shopping centers from using single-use plastic bags as of November 15.
