Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Do not encourage any kind of begging in Oman: Ministry

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Muscat: Giving charity to beggars is an encouragement to continue with their activities and instead such incidents should be reported to the hotline (1100) number of the Ministry of Social development.


"On a daily basis we see an increase in the number of people begging, especially among non-Omanis. Such practices are detrimental to Omani society and has other negative impacts," MOSD said in a statement.


Omani legislation criminalises begging and legal penalties will be imposed on those who do so. Begging is an indictable offence," it added.


The law stipulates penalty of not less than two months prison sentence and no more than one year and with a fine that is not less than RO50 and no more than RO100 or either of these two penalties shall be applied to anyone who is caught begging in the public street or public or private spaces or shops.


Asking for alms or donation from others or displaying trivial commodities, show games, or any other shapes of actions that cannot be suitable for being a serious income for living on their own are considered forms of beggary. A verdict shall be issued to confiscate all the money in their custody when caught. If the beggar is non-Omani, the court may, apart from the aforesaid penalty, order him to be expelled from the country.


If the condemned repeats the act of beggary, he shall be imprisoned for a period that is not less than six months and no more than two years.


The penalty of not less than three months prison sentence and no more than three years and with a fine that is not less than RO50 and no more than RO100 or either of these two penalties shall be applied to anyone who uses a juvenile or delivered him to others with the purpose of beggary. The penalty stated in the previous section shall be doubled if the action doer is the juvenile’s sponsor, guardian or the one assigned to take care of him.


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