Al-Riyadh

 

The Saudi economy incurs huge losses because of commercial fraud. The latest statistics I found on the issue dates back to 2011. It said the Kingdom's annual losses due to commercial fraud were about SR16 billion.

 

We have known all kinds of fraudulent commercial operations, the most common type being counterfeit goods. In addition to harming the economy, these products could damage human health and sometimes cause even deaths.

 

The first example of imitation goods that comes to my mind is air conditioners. There were instances of air conditioners suddenly burning and exploding, which resulted in the deaths of several people.

 

I said earlier that we have known all types of commercial fraud. I was totally mistaken. There is a new kind of fraud, which is unimaginable.

 

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently discovered that a reputable car dealership was repairing, refurbishing and repainting used cars to sell them as brand new ones.

 

This agency represented famous American automobile manufacturers, including Dodge and Chrysler.

 

May Allah have mercy on people who bought cars from this agency.

 

The ministry should be thanked for this astonishing discovery. Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said in a tweet that the ministry would deal harshly with cases of commercial fraud without exception.

 

I would like to tell the minister that what the ministry has discovered is much less than what it has not, especially as citizens do not cooperate with it.

 

The minister should urge citizens and expatriates to cooperate with his ministry in its efforts to put a seal on the rising fraud operations.

 

People who run businesses under tasattur (foreigners doing business in the name of Saudis in return for a fixed fee) are responsible for most cases of fraud. Therefore the ministry should start a campaign against tasattur first if it is serious about ending commercial fraud in the country.