Doha

The Cabinet on Wednesday ratified a draft law that seeks to combat the smuggling and illegal trade of petroleum products, and referred it to the Advisory Council.

The draft law includes penalties like confiscation of petroleum products smuggled or illicitly traded, or payment of an equivalent amount if the products are not found, in cases of conviction.

The tools and materials used in the crime, along with the mode of transport, will also be confiscated.

According to the bill, it is prohibited to bring petroleum products into the country or take them out without the permission from Qatar Petroleum.

Illegal trading is banned and this includes the intentional sale of petroleum products to somebody who resells them without a licence, purchasing such products with the intention of reselling them without having a licence and obtaining a share of petroleum products that are distributed by licensed entities while submitting incorrect information or documents.

Further, such trading includes continuing to receive a share of petroleum products that are distributed by licensed entities after the end of the purpose by virtue of which the share was decided, using the granted share in purposes other than it was set for and unlawfully deciding the right to a share of petroleum products or granting it to undeserving parties.

After the regular weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani at the Emiri Diwan, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud said the Cabinet also approved a draft decision by HE the Minister of Environment to amend Decision No 19 of 2008 to endorse a guide that specifies the standards pertaining to the certificate of Qatari conformity.

The draft stipulates that provisions of the guide should be applied to imported as well as domestically produced shipments, except for food and agricultural products, medication, medical equipment and crude oil.

The guide also includes provisions related to the procedures to issue a certificate of Qatari conformity for shipments of commodities and imported products as well as domestically manufactured products.

HE al-Mahmoud said the session endorsed a draft Cabinet decision amending some provisions of Decision No 10 of 2007 on the establishment of the national committee on civil aviation security.

The amendment stipulates that a representative each from the Ministry of Justice and Qatar Airways is to be added to the committee’s membership.

Further, the meeting ratified a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in the field of oil, gas and petrochemicals between the governments of Qatar and Kuwait, an MoU on co-operation in the scientific and technical field in areas related to meteorology between Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority and the French national meteorological service and an MoU on co-operation in the field of health between the Supreme Council of Health and France’s Pasteur Institute.

The Cabinet also reviewed a number of issues and took appropriate decisions, such as a draft law on orders, medals, decorations and colours pertaining to the Qatar Armed Forces and a draft decree on the shapes of medals and decorations, procedures of their award and the privileges they entail.

Also reviewed were a letter by HE the Minister of Energy and Industry on the feasibility of recommendations included in a study on mechanisms of providing support for the shipbuilding and ship repair industry in Qatar, as well as a letter by Qatar’s National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons on the 23rd report of the committee (May 1 to August 31).

During the session, the Cabinet was briefed on a study prepared by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on the problem of shallow groundwater and surface water, and how some parts in the State were suffering, causes of the high level of underground water and the proposed solutions. The entities concerned were directed to take necessary measures to solve the problem as quickly as possible.