Environmental licence must for AC servicing shops in Oman

Muscat: The Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) has issued a decision 59/2019 regulating the operations of air-conditioning (AC) and refrigeration maintenance establishments.

The decision published in the official gazette on Sunday stated that establishments engaged in the maintenance, repair, and servicing of refrigeration and AC units need to take a license from the Ministry of Climate and Environment Affairs (MECA), within six months of the start of their operation.

• As per Article 4, a competent authority shall ensure that best practices are adopted in the field of servicing and maintenance of refrigeration and AC systems as required under international protocols to protect the environment and the Ozone layer.


• The competent authority shall be responsible for the preparation of guidelines on best practices to be applied in the service and maintenance of refrigeration and air conditioning systems.


• The same authority will be responsible for issuing licenses and imposing administrative fines on any violations.


• The competent authority shall decide on the application for the license within 30 thirty working days from the date of the applicant's submission of the required documents.


• The license shall be issued for two years and it may be renewed for a similar period on a request submitted by the owner of the establishment to the competent authority within 30 days from the date of expiry.


• Article 11 states that the competent authority shall collect the fees for the issuance of the license.


• Fees for issuance of licenses by the Ministry of Climate Affairs (MECA) will be RO20 for small-sized establishments, RO30 for medium-sized and RO50 for large-sized establishments.

Article 12 states that installations are prohibited from using adulterated, substandard, or substituted materials that are not recommended by the manufacturer. Facilities should ensure the quality and suitability of materials used for repair and maintenance.

Article 13 states that establishments may not use recycled materials in the repair and maintenance process unless the materials are of high quality, free from impurities and contaminants as per the technical standards specified by the competent authority. In all cases, invoices for the purchase of such materials and quality inspection certificates shall be maintained.

The authorized officers of the competent authority shall inspect the establishments to verify their compliance with the licensing requirements and the provisions of this regulation.