The State Council on Tuesday discussed the ‘Draft law for combatting illicit trade’ referred to it by the Council of Ministers, and the report of the council’s Economic Committee on it, and decided to form a technical drafting committee to include the views of the members on the draft law. 

Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh al Manthri, State Council Chairman, in his opening speech delivered at the sixth ordinary sitting of the first annual session of the seventh term, said that the sitting would discuss the ‘Draft law for combatting illicit trade’ that has been referred by the Council of Ministers and the report of the Economic Committee on it. The sitting was held in the presence of council members and the secretary general of the council.  

Dr Manthri said, “His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik recently delivered a comprehensive speech that outlined the parameters of the next stage of the march of the Blessed Renaissance. Following this was another Royal Speech, delivered at the Council of Ministers meeting, in which His Majesty the Sultan stressed the importance of the country’s financial sustainability by ensuring that the financial resources are optimally directed to guarantee debt reduction and increased income.” 

The council chairman stressed that this national agenda, highlighted by His Majesty the Sultan’s speech shows the way for all in the various executive, legislative and oversight institutions of the state to work and proceed accordingly and look at appropriate mechanisms of action to put them into practice, to build and develop our nation.   

He continued by saying, His Majesty the Sultan stated in his speech on February 23, that it is the responsibility of everyone to be committed and no one is exempted from playing their role to the best of their ability.  

The council chairman stated that the State Council with all its committees and competent organs would adopt this high value speech as guideline for its work and future activities, and contribute with other state institutions to elevate the sultanate to the level of His Majesty the Sultan’s aspirations and the aspirations of his loyal people. 

Subsequently, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah al Harthy, head of the Economic Committee of the council, presented a statement on the draft law of illicit trade, explaining that the preparation of the draft law came within the framework of implementing the recommendations of the small and medium enterprise (SME) development symposium held in Seih al Shamikhat in Bahla wilayat in 2013.  

He noted that the draft law contains 19 articles divided into three chapters: definitions and general provisions, control and disposal of violations in addition to penalties. 

He pointed out that the Economic Committee has prepared a memorandum on the draft law aimed at diagnosing the illicit trade scenario to determine the extent of the need to issue this law in the presence of the laws and procedures referred to and the possibility of activating them