Oman to enforce new ‘sin tax’ in June

Ashtray full of cigarette butts. For illustrative purposes only

Dubai: Cigarettes, alcohol, energy and soft drinks are going to be more expensive from June, when a new national tax is applied in Oman.

The ‘selective tax’ — or sin tax, will be enforced in 90-days time after His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said issued a Royal Decree that approves the new levy.

The Royal Decree stated: “By the first Royal Decree, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said approves the Selective Tax Law. The Tax Law will come into effect after 90 days.”

“The Selective Goods Tax Law comes as a result of the GCC Standard Agreement on Selective Tax, issued in 2016 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Qatar. This tax shall be levied on goods that have damage to public health or the environment in varying proportions,” a statement from Government Communication Center said on Wednesday.

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