26 private firms suspended for violating advertisement regulations

Manama : The Northern Governorate has suspended more than 25 private establishments for advertisement regulation violations.

Northern Area Municipality General Director Yousif Al Ghatam yesterday confirmed that the municipality’s inspectors detected over 300 advertisements that flouted regulations in the governorate during the first two weeks of January.

Al Ghatam said the Commercial Registrations (CRs) of 26 private establishments were suspended over advertisements offences, which include posting ads on public areas without obtaining the necessary permit.

“There are companies that unrightfully used specially allocated sites for commercial advertisements and without obtaining the necessary licenses. The CRs of these companies have been suspended and the procedures to refer them to legal affairs in the municipality have been taken,” the official commented in a press statement issued yesterday.

Al Ghatam affirmed that the campaigns against such violations will continue.

“The municipality shall remove the advertisements that violate regulations and report the companies to legal affairs, which would communicate with them to remove the violations and pay fines of up to BD300. We have removed over 300 such advertisements in different parts of the governorate within the first 14 days of the year,” he added.

The Municipality’s Inspection Department Head Abdulaziz Al Wadi explained that the campaign also included illegal street vendors and cars displayed for sale in public places.

Al Wadi said 15 raids on illegal vendors were conducted this year, while the owners of 70 vehicles unlawfully displayed for sale in public areas were fined and notified to remove their cars, adding that the campaigns included areas such as Hamad Town, Jasra, Hamala, Budaiya, Hajar, Sehla and Abusaiba.