MUSCAT, Oct 10 - Muscat Municipality has warned against use of residential buildings for commercial activities in areas that are not otherwise approved by the authorities. “Despite reminders, commercial activities, including setting up of warehouses, workshops and other business activities, are reported from different parts of the city. This will be dealt with strictly,” warned a civic official. According to him, municipal authorities, in coordination with the Ministry of Housing, are in the process of checking the title deeds of those properties on which complaints have been received.
On Wednesday, the urban inspection department of the municipality raided the premises of a number of companies and found they were engaged in unlicenced activities.
“In some cases, the companies in Al Khoudh and Al Jafnain have not renewed their commercial licences,” he said. In another incident, the municipality officials also shut down an illegal wood storage facility in Al Misfah.
In May this year, the municipality had issued a warning against the setting up of warehouses or commercial workshops in residential neighbourhoods.
Article 115 of the Civic Law does not allow establishment of workshops and factories or crushers and also the sale of construction materials in residential areas that cause nuisance and inconvenience to the public. “The properties must be used for the purpose for which they have been registered under the building permit,” the law stipulates.
The official said a notification has already been issued on the stoppage of use of residential buildings for commercial use outside the approved streets under the jurisdiction of the municipality.
According to the order in the notification, the time period for such activities will end by the end of 2018.
“The licences and contracts of these activities will be automatically terminated on the expiry of the time limit and may not continue to be exercised in residential buildings after the specified date,” the order says.
The official said a study and discussion with businesses and other authorities concerned suggested that commercial-cum-residences could be in the same buildings but not in all areas.
SAMUEL KUTTY
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