Violators face harsh penalties

RIYADH: Commerce and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qassabi announced Saturday that harshest penalties would be imposed on anybody who violates the ministry’s commercial concealment law in the telecommunications sector.
The minister said that officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Investment (MCI) would continue inspection tours to find out wether the shops and establishments dealing in mobile phones and accessories are complying with the regulations and to impose legal penalties against violators.
The inspections will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministries of Labor and Social Development, Municipal and Rural Affairs, Telecommunication and Information Technology as well as the Ministry of Interior.
Al-Qassabi said the field inspection tours, carried out during the first two days of Ramadan on mobile shops in various regions of the Kingdom, uncovered some violations in the sector. They include commercial concealment cases, which may lead to two years' imprisonment, a fine of SR1 million for each offender, whether a citizen or an expatriate.Expatriates will be deported on completion of their sentence while the local businessman’s license will be canceled and his shop shut down for a period of five years. An advertisement will also be inserted in local newspapers notifying the public about the names and backgrounds of the violators. The minister said that this was a good opportunity for Saudi nationals to work in this occupation.
He pointed out that the Small & Medium Enterprises Authority would support entrepreneurs in the telecommunication sector in line with the partnership and cooperation with relevant ministries for the Saudization of the telecom sector and the achievement of the national strategy in support of the private sector.