His Majesty Sultan Qaboos issues five Royal decrees

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said yesterday issued five Royal decrees, as follows:

Royal Decree No. 2/2018 establishes a Centre for Competition Protection and Prevention of Monopoly and promulgates its system.

Article (1) stipulates that a centre to be named “Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention Centre” shall be established, that the Centre shall report to (be supervised by) the Minister of Commerce and Industry, and that the system attached to this decree shall be applied to the Centre.

Article (2) states that the Centre for Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention shall enjoy a legal identity and financial and administrative autonomy.

Article (3) states that all powers and prerogatives, allocations and assets related to the Department of Competition and Prevention of Monopoly at the Public Authority for Consumer Protection shall be transferred to the Centre for Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention. In addition, all competition protection and monopoly prevention affairs shall be transferred to the Centre, and so shall the employees of that department, along with their financial grades and job status. The transfer shall be applied in accordance with terms and regulations that shall be agreed between the Minister of Commerce and Industry and the Chairman of the Public Authority for Consumer Protection.

Article (4) stipulates that the provisions of financial, administrative and personnel affairs laws and systems in force at units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus shall apply to the Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention Centre.

Article (5) states that the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention Centre shall issue the regulations and decisions necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this decree and the attached system. Till such a time, the existing regulations and decisions shall continue to be applied without prejudice to the provisions of this decree.

Article (6) cancels all that contravene with this decree and the system attached or contradicts with their provisions.

Article (7) says that this decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and enforced on its date of issue.

Royal Decree No. 3/2018 establishes a Media Training Centre and promulgates its system.

Article (1) states that a centre to be named “Media Training Centre (MTC)” shall be established, that the centre shall report to (be supervised by) the Minister of Information and that the system attached to this decree shall apply to the MTC.