Shopping discounts should not be less than 20%: Ministry

MUSCAT, APRIL 3

Applications for shopping promotions and discounts approved by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion totalled 7,175 in 2021, presenting a 27.7 per cent increase over the previous year’s total of 5,619 approvals.

According to Amal bint Abdullah al Fahdiyah, Head of the Commercial Licensing Department at the Ministry, applications for promotions are governed by Ministerial Resolution 239/2013 and cover all types of promotions organised by commercial, industrial and service establishments, with the exception of fast food restaurants. These include promotions conducted throughout the year, offers organised by commercial centres and gifts bundled with item on sale – provided advertisements and posters promoting these offers are approved by the Ministry in advance.

Promotional offers conducted by commercial centre on the occasion of festivals, or by commercial, industrial and service establishments on the occasion of the opening of a new branch, are excluded from the provisions of this regulation if they are held for a period of one day. However, the Ministry’s approval is mandatory before they are held.

“It is not permitted for commercial, industrial and service establishments to hold or advertise any of the promotions except after obtaining the necessary licence from the ministry. The application for obtaining a license to conduct a promotional show must be submitted at least 15 days before the start of the offer, provided that the application includes specifying the type of offer and the method of conducting it, specifying the periods and places for conducting the show, attaching a list of the number and types of prizes and gifts allocated to the winners, their purchase invoices and specifying the place and date of the draw and its mechanism “by lottery or by automatic draw,” Amal explained.

Importantly, strictly barred from promotions – direct or indirect – are tobacco items and its products and derivatives.

Moreover, violators from any of these provisions are liable to face bans for one year from holding any promotions.

Sales of goods at discounted prices are covered by Ministerial Resolution 129/2015 provided they are for not more than three days and offer discounts of not less than 20 per cent.

All applications for promotional offers, discounts, marketing cards and advertising brochures may be submitted through the electronic portal “Invest Easy”, the official added.