Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — The National Trade Committee at the Council of the Saudi Chambers has asked young Saudi men and women to avail themselves of the opportunities left behind by expatriates leaving the market under the impact of the law to combat tasattur, or cover-up operations where they do business in the names of Saudis.

Members of the committee asked the municipalities to join the efforts in fighting tasattur as they supervise a number of trading activities, the Makkah newspaper reported.

The members said jobs in the private sector must be attractive to lure more young Saudi men and women.

A number of economic and marketing experts said using the electronic system of payment instead of cash will cut the path for tasattur and will also greatly reduce the volume of remittances abroad by expatriates.

A royal consent was recently given to the recommendations of the National Program to Combat Tassatur, which is meant to fight all forms of cover-up operations, encourage e-trade, organize financial transactions to limit the flight of capital abroad and promote the private sector to generate more jobs for the Saudi nationals.

The program was also aimed at preventing expatriates from illegally acquiring businesses in the Kingdom.

Under the royal consent, the recommendations of the program must be implemented within 90 days of their issuance.

Shinan Al-Zahrani, deputy chairman of the the National Trade Committee, said preventing expatriates from owning businesses will greatly reduce the transfer of funds abroad and will increase the cash flow in the national economy.

He hoped that the program would be implemented on schedule within three months and would not be delayed for any reason.

Zahrani asked young Saudi men and women to utilize the precious opportunities that will be made available to them when the expatriates will be forced to abandon all tassattur operations.

Saleh Al-Afaliq, a former chairman of the Chamber Council, said expatriates in fact own hundreds of groceries, laundry shops and healthcare facilities.

“Regretfully this has been made possible for them by some greedy Saudis who want to make easy money by helping the foreigners to steal the Kingdom’s wealth,” he said. He asked the municipalities to join forces in the fight against tasattur as they are the ones supervising restaurants and coffee shops.

Bandar Al-Jabri, a member of the board of directors of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said expatriates were extending their services at less prices compromising quality to dominate the market.

“The program will enable the Saudi public and private sector employees to own businesses, which will receive support from the government,” he said.