Oman commerce agency stresses need to regulate transport industry

A thriving black market in door-to-door delivery needs to be throttled so that Omani firms can survive, according to transport bosses.

Black market drivers are coining it in delivering goods from across the GCC to Oman residents but registered firms are losing out as they can’t match their prices.

Industry executives called for the criminalising of the “hidden” trade at a meeting with Oman’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) yesterday.

Residents living in Oman who want to have goods delivered from stores across the GCC often choose the cheapest option – and that usually means an unregistered delivery company.

Registered Omani companies are now calling on the country’s chamber of commerce to ban the black market trade, Omanise the sector and have government agencies monitor drivers and their cargo.

Said bin Saleh Al Kiyumi, the Chairman of OCCI, and road transport bosses met yesterday to address issues facing official hauliers in the Sultanate.

Citing the chamber’s own statistics, Al Kiyumi said they had records of more than 11,000 road transport firms in the country, while the Manpower Ministry listed just 62 officially registered companies in the same sector.

The need for a clampdown was echoed by a spokesman at the Indian Social Club in Oman, who says enforcement is required if Omanisation is to succeed.

“There’s a lot of undercutting going on, there’s a grey market with regards to transportation here, and it is quite prevalent,” the manager said.

“I think they rarely, if ever, register with the concerned entities. I think the government has to stamp them out, because if they don’t do that, the grey market will definitely be privileged.

“Once this hidden trade is limited, then the transport sector will eventually be on track in terms of legal practices.