‘No delay, ban on asbestos in place’

While asbestos has been banned in Oman since 2009, the new Ministerial decision to ban the import of asbestos was to ensure that no product containing asbestos, or manufactured with asbestos, would enter the country

MUSCAT: Ministry officials have responded to concerns that the asbestos ban was delayed, and confirmed that asbestos was already banned in the Sultanate.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had confirmed in a statement to the Times of Oman sister newspaper, Al Shabiba, that the asbestos ban has not been delayed in timing. In fact, the Ministry clarified that the circulation and use of asbestos, and its compounds, has been banned since 2009, in accordance with Ministerial Decision No. (25/2009) by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.

“The new Ministerial decision to ban the import of asbestos was to ensure that no product which contains asbestos, or was manufactured with asbestos, would enter the country,” the Ministry explained. The Sultanate had previously adopted the Rotterdam Convention on Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, which includes asbestos compounds or any products containing asbestos compounds.

This was in accordance with the European Regulation No. 1907/2006, which included asbestos among the prohibited items marketed or used.

A Decision posted on Sunday has also announced the prohibition in the trade of asbestos in Oman. The new Ministerial decision, 245/2017, comes after the last one confirmed the ban on its import last week. Any person, who violates the provisions of the trade ban, will be liable to an administrative fine of not less than OMR50 and not more than OMR1,000, and the penalty shall be doubled if the violation is repeated.

In case of repeated violations, an administrative fine of OMR50 shall be imposed for each day of the violation, provided that the total does not exceed OMR2,000.