MoCI halts deals of 365 companies for not submitting data

Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has stopped dealing with about 365 companies that failed to submit their industrial data, during the recently conducted industrial survey, which involved submitting company data through the ministry on its online Invest Easy portal.
The survey was carried out between September 30 and November 7. It required submitting data electronically, through the ministry’s website or the Invest Easy portal.
The Directorate General of Industry said, “The number of industrial establishments which submitted data for their industrial surveys as of December 19th was about 715. The total number of industrial establishments targeted during the survey for the year 2018 was 1,080. We have stopped dealing with those industrial establishments that did not provide their data for this survey during the above mentioned period.”
A statement from the Industrial Department for MOCI said, “The suspension of transactions of industrial establishments was due to violations of the unified industrial law of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as issued by Royal Decree No. 61/2008 and the Statistics and Information Law, issued by Royal Decree No. 55/2019. The ministry had earlier published an advertisement in this regard, and has also contacted the industrial establishments to submit their data before the end of the specified period.”
The survey included industrial establishments operating in the Duqm industrial and free zones, which had been operating since last year. Companies that operate in these zones have procured their industrial licences, and have at least nine workers employed by the organisation.
“This digital system for industrial statistics was aimed at making all stages of the industrial survey in the ministry fully digital, to make the required processes speedy and accurate,” explained the ministry. “This information would help in the development of the industrial sector of the Sultanate and monitor and evaluate the industrial strategy for 2040.”
The ministry is currently conducting a study which includes the survey of data of all industrial establishments for the year 2019, irrespective of the number of employees. The next industrial survey operation is expected to begin in March 2020. The information for the survey will be submitted electronically, as many industrial establishments are willing to submit their industrial data on these specified dates.
This data will help in making strategies and preparing studies, general reports and performance reports, which will be provided to each industrial establishment. This information will help in following up the implementations of plans and strategies set by the authorities.