The Ministry of Commerce has defamed a citizen condemned of covering up an expat of Bangladeshi nationality, following the issuance of a court ruling convicted him of violating the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. It has been proved that the citizen has been enabling the resident to engage in the activity of satellite TV receivers’ trade, including selling the subscriptions in Al-Mithnab Governorate in Qassim Region.
The Ministry has published a summary of the judicial ruling issued by the Criminal Court in Buraidah, including a fine, closure of the facility, liquidation of its activities, cancellation of its license, writing off the commercial registry and preventing the citizen of practicing the same trade activity, besides collecting zakat, fees and taxes, and defamation by publishing the verdict in a local newspaper at the expense of the violator.
In details, MC inspection teams suspected a case of commercial concealment at the Est., after carrying out the necessary investigation, it has been proved that the citizen is enabling the expat to manage the Est. as if he were the owner. The evidence also showed that the expat has made financial transactions in large amounts of money that do not match his monthly salary, which is SR 1300 per month.
Notably, the new law for combating the commercial concealment, which was recently approved by the Council of Ministers, relied on mechanisms that contribute to eliminate the sources of commercial concealment and to put an end to the shadow economy.
The system included heavy penalties of up to five-year imprisonment, a fine of up to five million riyals, confiscation of the illegal funds of the violators, after final court rulings were issued against them, in addition to other penalties, including closing the facility subject of the crime, liquidation of the trade activity, canceling the commercial registry and preventing the convicted person from practicing any trade activity for a period of five years, besides deporting the expat from the Kingdom and not to be allowed to return for work.
The Ministry of Commerce receives tips and reports about the commercial concealment through MC Consumer Call Center (1900), or through the application of a Commercial violation report, or via the Ministry's website. Notably, the Ministry grants a financial reward to the informer of up to 30% of the total fines after collection, which may reach to five million riyals against each violator.