H E Mohammed bin Salim al Toobi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, has issued a decision regulating the operations of air-conditioning (AC) and refrigeration maintenance companies. 

The decision (No 59/2019) states that such companies must get a licence from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.  The licence fee will be RO20 for small establishments, RO30 for medium and RO50 for large companies. 

The licence will be issued for two years and it may be renewed for a similar period. ‘The owner of the establishment must submit the request for renewal to the competent authority within 30 days from the date of expiry,’ the ministry stated. 

The decision states that firms are prohibited from using substandard materials. ‘Firms must ensure quality of materials used for repair and maintenance.’ The decision was issued on November 21 and came into force from the date of its publication in the official gazette.