The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen convicted of violating the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. He was found guilty by enabling an expatriate of an Arab nationality to engage in an unauthorized commercial activity and to invest in processing date products in Al-Al Bukairiyah Governorate, Qassim.
The verdict issued by the Criminal Court in Buraidah included a fine on the defendant and defamation by publishing the sentence in a local newspaper at his expense.
During the past months, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment had conducted inspection tours and published five judicial rulings against citizens and residents convicted of covering up in the dates markets in Qassim Region. The perpetrators were referred to the judicial authorities and sentences were issued against them 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.