MUSCAT: As alarm bells ring about possibly more smuggling of Omani fuel into the UAE, prominent members of Majlis Al Shura have once again called for measures to curb exploitation of Oman’s resources.
Sultan bin Majid Al Ibri, Majlis Al Shura member representing the Wilayat of Ibri, has questioned the rationale behind opening three filling stations in Al Rawda in the Wilayat of Mahda in Buraimi, a border area with Dubai, which has a very small population.
“These locations are much sought after as there is a huge market on the other side of the border,” he noted.
Similarly, Tawfiq Al Lawati, another Majlis Al Shura member representing the Wilayat of Muttrah, has also questioned the need for three filling stations near Hatta on the road to Dubai, noting that less than 500 people reside in the region.
According to Al Abri, Oman, among others, witnesses organised fuel smuggling operations that bring millions and are carried out through the land and sea routes. He feared that a wider gap in fuel prices with neighbouring Emirates will exacerbate the problem.
Describing the situation, Al Abri said, “Trailers are being filled with fuel, costing around OMR120, which are then sold and refilled again. You can imagine the extent of the loss. That is in addition to a massive number of vehicles registered with foreign number plates benefitting from the subsidised fuel.”
To curb smuggling, Al Ibri suggested that only a certain amount of fuel should be sold to cars registered with foreign number plates along the filling stations situated close to the border. Furthermore, the number of filling stations should not exceed those required to cater to the local demand and cameras must be installed to catch any related violations.
Meanwhile, Al Lawati suggested that fuel prices at these stations should match the ones offered by stations located on the other side of the border, while locals in the region should be compensated.
