The National Anti-Concealment Program (Tasattur) published a video announcing the start of a new phase of joint oversight work to combat commercial concealment after the end of the corrective period for violators.
The new phase relies on the collaboration between 20 regulatory bodies which will use artificial intelligence and data analysis methods to monitor cases of commercial concealment, apprehend violators and impose legal penalties.
In the framework of the new approach, 20 government agencies will be involved in apprehending violators and implementing legal procedures in line with the National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program (Tasattur) and its executive regulations. The agencies will be conducting inspection tours that examine all aspects of the businesses’ operations including: commercial, economic, investment, service, professional, industrial, agricultural and other activities. The program also authorized the government agencies to use electronic evidence in addition to other means of verification to ensure that non-Saudi individuals and businesses adhere to the law.
Abdulrahman Al-Hussein, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce explained that this new method of inspection marks a modern evolution in apprehension efforts compared to the inspection rounds and direct notifications that were previously utilized.
Adding that the new process would include consolidating data between 20 government agencies and deducing more than 120 indications of suspected commercial concealment. After the electronic reading and data analysis stage, the inspection teams will be directed to apprehend the violating facilities in various regions of the Kingdom and impose legal penalties on them.
Additionally, Colonel Mohammad Al-Aqeel of the Presidency of State Security stated that the affiliated agencies are crucial to supporting the entire decision-making system, and that data analysis would be valuable to uncovering the activities of violators of the anti-commercial concealment law.
Meanwhile, Saad Al-Hammad, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, indicated that these inspection tours reinforce the labor system, ministerial decisions and enhance the process of detecting commercial concealment.
In turn, Saif Al-Suwailem, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, explained that the ministry is a key partner in eliminating commercial concealment, and that its inspection teams are conducting inspection tours and apprehension practices.