Environmental licence must for AC servicing companies

Muscat: Establishments engaged in the maintenance, repair and servicing of refrigeration and AC units must take a licence from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), within six months of the start of their operations. MECA has issued the decision 59/2019, which was published in the official gazette on Sunday.

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

The decision added that the competent authority shall be responsible for the preparation of guidelines, which will be followed by the establishments.

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

The competent authority shall decide on the application for the licence within 30 working days from the date of the applicant’s submission of the required documents, the statement said.

The licence 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.

“Fees for issuance of licences by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) will be RO 20 for small-sized establishments, RO 30 for medium-sized and RO 50 for large-sized establishments,” the decision said.

Article 12 states that the establishments 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 these 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 authorised officials of the competent authority shall inspect the establishments to verify their compliance with the licensing requirements and the provisions of this regulation.