The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen and an expat of Egyptian nationality following a judicial ruling condemning them for commercial concealment. It has been proved that the citizen has been enabling the expat to practice commercial activity using the citizen's commercial register and working for his own account in the contracting activity in Rafha'a Governorate.
A verdict was issued by the Criminal Court of Arar to impose a fine of 100,000 riyals on the offenders, and one-month imprisonment for both parties, as well as the closure of the establishment, liquidation of the trade activity, cancellation the license, writing off the commercial registration, 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 the violators.
In details, MCI received a tip about a suspected cover up case at an Est. for contracting in Rafha'a Governorate. MCI inspectors have carried out the necessary investigation, and they found out the existence of a commercial concealment case. The citizen had been enabling the expat to practice a trade activity in the field of contracting, and this a clear violation to the Rules & Regulations. So the case was referred to the judicial authority 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.