I have always believed that I lack business knowledge and experience and I have never called myself a businessman. Most people who ask me to join their businesses do not understand why I categorically reject their offers. I feel more content when I hear about their problems, especially those who have entered the field with the intention of serving the nation. A great many of their problems is because of the obstacles they face in government departments. Trade may be either a blessing or a misfortune. It can be a blessing for those who are honest and noble but it will be a misfortune for those who do not know what honesty and nobility are.
Experienced people talk about business houses which flourished once but then disappeared. They talk about past generations of traders, who did unto others as they did unto themselves. Stories are told of their nobility and honesty which seem unbelievable in today’s world. Although our society is full of good people, we see bad signs, especially in the field of trade. When offering tenders or being at an auction, everyone tries his best to grab the bit from the mouths of their brothers.
The forging of trademarks has reached its limit. A statement published recently by the director of the Ministry of Commerce’s office in Jeddah said the number of forgeries had reached 638 this year. This means that the amount of fraud is growing in the country.
It also shows that the present system is inadequate for deterring violators and clearing the market of corrupt traders. The threat posed by forgery has reached the stage that a failed trader from the forgers’ mafia was not satisfied with simply imitating a famous trademark. He used the name of the trademark’s owner and printed it on the false products he imported from certain south Asian markets that specialize in providing forged and imitation products.
The shipment of forged products was released with the permission of both the port authorities and the customs and the products are now being distributed in the market in defiance of the Ministry of Commerce officials, the Saudi Standards Organization, the agency for combating trade fraud and the department of prisons. Trade fraud continues in the country without no control and it is time that higher authorities intervened stop this negative and destructive phenomenon.
