892 customs exemptions granted to GCC countries in Q2 of 2017

Muscat – The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has said that through the ‘Bayan’ system for GCC countries (model ‘B’), 892 licences were facilitated with customs duty exemption by the Directorate General for Industry in Q2 of 2017.

The number of customs exemption requests for import of equipment, spare parts, and raw materials has reached 53, stated a press release.

Eng Muhammad bin Saeed al Mahrouqi, director general at the Department of Exemption in the Directorate General for Industry in MoCI said, “By providing services electronically, the ministry seeks to facilitate easier movement of goods for both imports and exports. Additionally, it intends to reduce the cost of the export-import process, promote the partnership between customs and various segments of the trading and commercial stakeholders, and encourage local as well as foreign investment.”

He added, “Moreover, this move is to provide services electronically to promote the position of the sultanate globally, in the field of border trade, according to international measures and indicators. It also aims to integrate the procedures, ensure justice and equality when it comes to transactions, save effort, time and money, increase the customs income and stop smuggling, tax-avoiders and commercial fraud.

“Electronic services will also provide statistics about the international trade that facilitates in formulating the development and economic plans, not to mention calculating the commercial scale and feasibility studies.”

Mahrouqi assured that getting the commercial licence issued by MoCI is considered to be a main condition to avail of the customs exemption. This is done according to the unified industrial organisation of the GCC countries issued by Royal Decree 61/2008, its executive regulation, and the two ministerial decisions No 56 and 66/2009 issued by the Ministry of Finance.