The National Committee for Tobacco Control (NCTC) held today Monday its 8th meeting under the chair of H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Saif al-Hosni, Undersecretary of Ministry of Health for Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health (MOH) headquarters with attendance of the committee members from all the official authorities.
The meeting aimed at discussing the progress achieved in implementing the Committee's decisions at the previous meeting including forming a working group to develop a list of requirements on selling tobacco and smoking tools in the shops, prohibition of smoking in the closed public places, indoor shisha cafes and open-public places like the beaches and buses stations (public transport).
The meeting also addressed the strategy of tobaccos' companies through the social responsibility, the new tobacco products in the Gulf market (iQoS), intensifying the control over the chewed tobacco which was banned by the Ministerial Decision No. 38/ 2010, review the customs duty, standardization the requirement of providing shisha, impose internal charges on tobacco imports…etc.
It is worth mentioning that the Committee members include representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Royal Oman Police (ROP), World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Manpower, Public Authority for Consumer Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Information, Muscat Municipality and Dhofar Municipality.
During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative to the Sultanate granted the WHO's Award on Tobacco Control to the Secretariat General of Taxation (STG). The Award was received by H.E. Saud bin Nassir Al-Shikili, the Secretary-General. This Award is a recognition of the WHO for the influential efforts and the significant role of the STG in maintenance the public health.
