RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
18April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1696)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFTHE SULTANATE OFOMAN
Questions andReplies totheMemorandum
ontheForeign Trade Régime
Addendum
Thefollowing further information withrespect toreplies toquestions contained indocument
WT/ACC/OMN/5 isreproduced hereunder:
_______________
II ECONOMY, ECONOMIC POLICIES AND FOREIGN TRADE
2. Economic Policies
(a) Main directions
Question 3.
Please provide theWorking Party withacopy oftheFifth Five-Year Development Plan.
Reply
AnEnglish version ofthePlanisavailable intheSecretariat (Accessions Division, Room 1126)
forconsultation.
IV. POLICIES AFFECTING TRADE INGOODS
1. Import Regulation
(e) Quantitative import restrictions, including prohibitions, quotas andlicensing systems
Question 93.
According toparagraph 77-79 oftheMemorandum, import quotas arefixed bytheGovernment
ofOman formilk, eggs, fruits andvegetables. Please describe fully therestrictions thatapply
tothese products, including thesizeofthequotas ofeachproduct foreachofthepastfiveyears,
alistofthecountries thatsupplied thequotas foreach ofthepastfiveyears, thecriteria for
eligibility foraquota share, andadescription ofthemethod usedtoallocate thequotas.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page2
Reply
EGGS
Year Actual Imports ofQuantities Quota fixed during Summer only
(Four months)
Tons Piece (Egg) Tons Piece (Egg)
1991 6633.9 92,800,000 - -
1992 7031.8 102,964,800 - -
1993 8000.9 123,491,264 - -
1994 9189.2 133,176,810 840 12,000,000
1995 9064.2 131,365,210 840 12,000,000
1996 7928.7 114,908,690 840 12,000,000
Note: Quota forimporting table eggsisdetermined 12,000,000 (840tons) which isduring the
summer only, i.e.,fromJunetoSeptember ofeachyear. After thesummer season, theimportation
isopenforall.
MILK AND CREAM
Year Actual Imports Quota Fixed forFresh and
Long LifeMilk Only
Tons Tons
1991 24,119.2 2,451.1
1992 23,818.1 2,451.1
1993 26,779.6 2,451.1
1994 29,570.4 2,451.1
1995 28,932.1 2,451.1
1996 27,006.5 2,451.1
Note:
(1) Quota isallocated forimporting Fresh Milk andLong LifeMilk onlyandthepermission is
issued according totheapplication oftheimporters 'quotas fixed onevery month.
(2) Total importation ofmonthly quota is204,250 Tons (approximately).
(3) Quota isdetermined bylitre, which isequal tooneKG.(approximately).
3. Internal Policies Affecting Foreign Trade inGoods
(c) Sanitary andphytosanitary measures, including measures taken withrespect toimports
Question 205.
Pleaseprovidetranslationsoflaws,regulationsanddirectivessettinghealthandsanitationstandards
forimported foods.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page3
Reply
AnEnglish translation isavailable intheSecretariat (Accessions Division, Room 1126) for
consultation.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page4
Import Licensing Questionnaire
(seeAnnex 3ofWT/ACC/1)
I. OUTLINE OFSYSTEMS
1. Theimport licensing system ofOman isusedtoadminister quantitative restrictions onimport
ofeggsandfresh milk.
II. PURPOSES AND COVERAGE OFLICENSING
1. Thepurpose oflicensing istoadminister quantitative restrictions. Thelicensing system covers
eggsandfresh milk.
2. Itapplies toeggsandfresh milkoriginating inandcoming from allcountries.
3. Yes,thelicensing isintended torestrict thequantity ofimports ofeggsandmilk.
4. There isnolaworregulation. Licensing isbased oninstructions oftheMinistry ofCommerce
andIndustry.
III. PROCEDURES
1.(a) Anotice ispublished inthelocalpress notifying allconcerned ofthequantity permitted to
beimported. Thequota isglobal; there arenocountry quotas. Quantity allocated toeach
importer isnotpublished.
(b) Quotas foreggsaredetermined forafourmonth (summer months) period. Quotas forfresh
milkaredetermined onayearly basis.
(c) Licences arenotallocated todomestic producers oflikegoods. These areallocated toimporters
onthebasis ofpastperformance.
Nostepsaretaken toensure thatlicences areactually used; itislefttotheimporters toutilize
ornottoutilize thelicences. Unused allocations arenotadded toquotas forasucceeding period.
(d) Aperiod ofonemonth foreggsandthree months forfresh milk.
(e) Theminimum timeforprocessing applications isoneday,while themaximum timeistwo
days.
(f) Most importers apply wellbefore theperiod ofimportation. Theminimum timewould be
atleastonemonth.
(g) Onlybytwoadministrativeorgans:theMinistryofAgricultureandFisheriesandtheregistration
wing oftheMinistry ofCommerce andIndustry.
(h) Licences areallocated onthebasis ofpastperformance.
(i) There arenobilateral quotas.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page5
(j) Imports arenotallowed onthebasis ofexport permits.
(k) No.
2.(a)-(d) Notapplicable
3. Since thequotas areallocated onthebasis ofpastperformance, anapplication foralicence
mayberefused iftheapplicant didnothavepastperformance.
IV. ELIGIBILITY OFIMPORTS TOAPPLY FOR LICENCE
1. Only those persons andfirms areeligible toapply whohavearegistration intheCommercial
Register. Please refertoReply toQuestion 53indocument WT/ACC/OMN/5.
VI. DOCUMENTATIONANDOTHERREQUIREMENTSFORAPPLICATIONFORLICENCE
1. Information required is:name oftheimporter, address, commercial register number, kind
andquantity ofgoods, portofentry. Asample oftheform isattached.
2. TheLicensing/Registration Office doesnotrequire anydocuments upon actual importation.
TheCustoms attheportofentry require theinvoice, packing list,certificate oforigin, ifapplicable,
andtheCertificate ofConformity withspecifications inthecaseofgoods subject tostandards.
3. AfeeofRialOmani 2,000 ischarged forthelicence.
4. Nodeposit oradvance payment isrequired.
VII. CONDITIONS OFLICENSING
1. Theperiod ofalicence varies from onetofourmonths.
2. There isnopenalty fornon-utilization ofalicence.
3. Licences arenottransferable.
4.(a) Licence must beobtained before starting theprocedures forimportation.
(b) Notapplicable.
VIII. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. No.
2. Foreign exchange isautomatically provided bythebanking authorities. Theimport licence
hasnothing todowithrelease offoreign exchange, which isalways available.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page6
Unofficial Translation
Sultanate ofOman
Ministry ofCommerce andIndustry
atMuscat
Commercial Import Licence
PortofEntry:
Kind ofGoods:
Origin ofGoods: No.andType ofParcels:
Manufacturing Co:
Name ofImporter:
Commercial Register: Telephone:
Address (P.O. Box): Postal Code:
Required Enclosures
(1) Anapplication together withacopyoftheSpecimen Signature.
(2) Acopyofthecomputer papers
ForOfficial Use
No.DC/CAD/9/
Date: //141 H
Corresponding to: ///199 A.D.
In-Charge ofCustoms
Royal Oman Police
After Compliments,
Wehavenoobjection astotheentry ofgoods andcommodities according tothedetails given above
andsubject tocompliance withArticle (9)oftheCommercial Agency LawNo.(26/77) andrelevant
instructions aswellascustoms regulations andinstructions.
Thanking you.
Thislicence shallbevalid fortwomonths from today.
Director, Commercial Affairs Dept.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page7
Questionnaire onState-Trading
(seeAnnex 6ofWT/ACC/1)
TheSultanate ofOman doesnotmaintain State-trading enterprises asdefined inArticle XVII
ofGATT 1994andinterms ofthedefinition intheUnderstanding ontheInterpretation ofArticle XVII.
However, asdesired bymembers oftheWorking Party, thefollowing information, isprovided
without prejudice toourposition onthestatus oftheenterprise(s).
I. ENUMERATION OFSTATE-TRADING ENTERPRISES
1. ThePublic Authority forStores andFood Reserves deals withthepurchase andstocking of
thefollowing food-stuff items: rice,sugar, edible oil,milkpowder andtea.
However, thePublic Authority isnotaState-trading enterprise asitdoesnothaveanyexclusive
orspecial privileges.
II. REASONANDPURPOSEFORINTRODUCINGANDMAINTAININGTHEENTERPRISE
1. ThePublic Authority forStores andFood Reserves wasestablished in1980byRoyal Decree
No.62/80,withtheobjectiveofmaintainingstrategicfoodreservesfordistributionincaseofemergency.
ThePublic Authority purchases and/or imports thedesignated fooditems andkeeps these instock.
Thepurpose oreffect oftheenterprise isnotinanywayrelated tothelevel ofprices to
consumers, thelevelorsource ofimports, thecontrol orquantity ofimports ortheprotection ofdomestic
producers (infactnoneoftheitems aredomestically produced).
III. DESCRIPTION OFTHE FUNCTIONING OFTHE ENTERPRISE
1. TheAuthority deals withrice,sugar, edible oil,milkpowder andtea.Sugar, edible oil,milk
powder andteaarenotimported bythePublic Authority. These arepurchased bytheAuthority from
private importers. Theonlyitemimported bytheAuthority isrice.
Private traders areallowed toimport allthese items without anyconditions orrestrictions.
There isfreecompetition between theprivate traders andthePublic Authority.
Thequantities tobeimported aredetermined onthebasis ofreserve stock forsixmonths '
requirement ofthepopulation ofOman.
Imported orstocked products arereleased/sold atmarket prices. There isnofixed mark-up.
There arenolong-term contracts. Purchases aremade onthebasis ofopentenders.
ThePublic Authority doesnotinanywayfulfil anycontractual obligations entered intoby
theGovernment.WT/ACC/OMN/5/Add.2
Page8
IV. STATISTICAL INFORMATION
Import ofricebythePublic Authority andbyprivate traders inthelastthree years was:
Year Public Authority Private traders
1994 12,000 Metric tons 63,962 Metric tons
1995 32,000 Metric tons 97,876 Metric tons
1996 27,096 Metric tons 63,109 Metric tons
V. REASONS WHY NOFOREIGN TRADE HAS TAKEN PLACE
Notapplicable.
VI. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
None.