The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen and an Expat of Pakistani nationality condemned of violating the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. The citizen was found guilty by enabling the expat to engage in an unauthorized business and to work for his own account in marketing and selling dates in Buraida.
The verdict issued by the Criminal Court in Buraida included imposing a fine on the violators, writing off the commercial registration, canceling the trade license, getting zakat, fees and taxes, deporting the expat from the Kingdom after the execution of the sentence and not to be allowed to return for work, and defamation by publishing the sentence in a local newspaper at the expense of violators.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment had already published six judicial rulings issued against citizens and residents convicted of the crime of covering up in the dates markets in Qassim Region, after carrying out inspection rounds targeting dates shops and outlets in the Region, where those involved were referred to the judicial authorities for taking the legal measures, in accordance with the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment calls on all citizens and residents in all regions of the Kingdom to report cases of commercial concealment through the Ministry's Consumer Call Center (1900) or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or via the Ministry's website. Notably, MCI is granting an award of up to 30% of the total sentenced fines after collection. The fine may reach one million riyals against each violator.
It is worth mentioning that the Royal Supreme Authority has approved recently the implementation of the recommendations of the National Program for Combating the Commercial Concealment, which involves ten government agencies. This program aims to address and combat commercial concealment in all sectors, besides developing relevant regulations and legislations, also stimulating e-commerce and using technical solutions. This program aims as well at regulating and organizing the financial transactions to eliminate transferring of money abroad, as well as enhancing development in the private sector, also creating attractive jobs for Saudis and encouraging them to invest in various trade activities, more over finding solutions to the problem of illegal ownership of foreigners in the private sector.