The Ministry of Commerce and Investment has defamed a citizen and a Pakistani expatriate, after a judicial ruling condemning them of commercial concealment crime. It has been proved that the citizen enabled the expat to engage in an unauthorized commercial activity by using his name, commercial registration and let the expat work for his own account in the contracting activity in Riyadh.
The verdict issued by the Criminal Court in Riyadh included a fine on the violators, closure of the Est., liquidation of the trade activity, cancellation of the license, writing off the commercial registration, prohibiting the citizen of practicing the same activity, besides deporting the expat from the Kingdom, and not to be allowed to return for work, in addition to 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.