The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen and an expat of Pakistani nationality, after a court ruling convicting them for the crime of trade covering up. It has been proved that the citizen is enabling the expat to engage in trade activity in the field of home furniture in Dammam.
The judgment issued by the criminal court in Dammam included a fine of two hundred thousand riyals against the violators, closure of the establishment, liquidation of the trade activity, cancellation of license, collection of zakat, fees and taxes, in addition to writing off the commercial registration, preventing the citizen of practicing the same trade activity, besides deporting the expat from the Kingdom, after the execution of the verdict, and not to be allowed to return to the Kingdom for work, also defamation by publishing the verdict in a local newspaper at the expense of the violators.
In details, a big amount of money, belonging to the expat, has been seized by MCI Inspectors. He confessed that he has been practicing business in furniture under the name of the citizen, in return of SR 30.000 to be paid to the citizen annually. The expat was managing and running the Est. for his own account. So the commercial concealment case has been proved and the case was referred to the concerned 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.