The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has rewarded a citizen SR (15,000) fifteen thousand riyals. This amount represents 30% of the collected amount, based on the fine issued by a judicial ruling. The citizen has already informed about a crime of commercial cover-up, involving a Saudi and an expatriate of an Afghan nationality, convicted of the crime of covering up. The Saudi citizen was enabling the expatriate to engage in an unlicensed commercial activity, and to work for own account in a food kitchen in Madinah.
The citizen had suspected the irregularity of the violating establishment. Therefore, he informed MCI about that. The inspectors responded immediately to the report and carried out the necessary investigation and verification. The cover-up case was proved, then the case was referred to the Public Prosecution, which in turn referred it to the judiciary to issue the relevant verdict.
A judgment was issued by the Criminal Court in Madinah, included imposing a fine on the violators of one hundred and thirty thousand riyals, closing the facility, liquidating its trade activity and cancelling the license, writing off the commercial registration and preventing the citizen of practicing the same trade activity, besides deporting the expat from the Kingdom and not to be allowed to return for work, and defamation by publishing the ruling in a local newspaper at the expense of the violators.
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.