Oman: National Tobacco Control Committee Meets

Source from:  Oman News Agency(ONA)  06/25/2013

The National Tobacco Control Committee today held its fourth meeting under the chair of Dr. Mohamed bin Saif al-Hosani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Health Affairs.

The meeting discussed a number of topics listed on its agenda, in addition to discussing the memorandum of the Sultanate's membership to the Protocol on illicit trade of tobacco products, which is summarized in viewing the magnitude of the problem of tobacco and its implications in the Sultanate.

The meeting touched on the efforts being exerted by the Public Authority of Consumer Protection (PACP) in combating tobacco in terms of applying Omani standards and banning advertising and smokeless tobacco products.

The meeting discussed the tobacco taxes and the approval of the Ministry of Finance, in addition to selective tax on tobacco products to reduce consumption and the progress achieved in the application of the GCC standards of labelling regulations on tobacco products packs in the local market and duty free market outlets.

The meeting also discussed the efforts of the Public Administration of Customs in the application of the standards of labelling regulations on tobacco products on the duty free market, the draft law of tobacco control, trading of electronic cigarette in the Sultanate and the Sultanate's hosting of Gulf symposium on tobacco control.

The meeting also discussed the proposals made by Committee's members in various government agencies and by the Omani Association of Tobacco Control. Enditem