The local media have recently carried reports that the Ministry of Commerce has issued warnings against commercial fraud. The possible punishment for violations includes fine, closing the establishment and publishing the name of the violator in the media.
In accordance with this, a merchant in Riyadh who sold food past its expiry date and hence unfit for consumption was fined SR30,000. The authorities also closed his shop for one week and the merchant himself must bear the expense of publishing his offense and name in the media.
It requires no great imagination to realize that in many cases of commercial fraud, SR30,000 is a very small percentage of a huge possible profit from violating regulations. Therefore the fine in such circumstances is no deterrent to those who commit violations. The relatively insignificant sum, on the other hand, will, I fear, only encourage the unscrupulous to repeat a violation.
The closure of a shop for only seven days is the second part of the punishment. For a businessman, who has no scruples in putting the health and lives of his fellow countrymen in danger, only a week without profit is something to be easily borne.
In my opinion, the shops of those who commit commercial fraud, particularly those which endanger public life and health, should be closed for a minimum period of three months.
The authorities should not underestimate the gravity of commercial fraud by calling it a simple violation of commercial regulations. It should be treated as a major crime and the businessman responsible should be prosecuted as a criminal. The ministry should establish punishments to fit the crime for those who are guilty of commercial fraud. The punishment should act as a real deterrent, making the offender think twice before committing a crime.
