RIYADH — The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing (MOMRA) is intending to increase the penalty for engaging in municipal activities without obtaining licenses from SR5,000 to a maximum of SR50,000. The minimum penalty will be SR10,000, which us SR1,000 at present. The increased penalties were included in the updated schedule of violations and municipal penalties currently released on the "Istitlaa" platform. According to the updated schedule, the minimum financial penalty for violating the rule for practicing municipal activity after the expiration of the license will rise from SR200 to SR1,000 while the maximum penalty will rise to SR5,000 from SR1,000. It has reduced the fine for other violations, such as the lack of ready to use e-payment methods from SR10,000 to SR1,000 and refusal to use e-payment methods from SR10,000 to SR2,000 as a maximum, and to SR400 as a minimum. The ministry has given commercial establishments a grace period to correct their non-serious violations before imposing the penalty. It has also given them a grace of one day to correct some of the violations, such as not producing the license, and a lack of clarity in data. In some cases of violations the grace period will last for two days. These include failure to provide kerosene at the fuel stations that carries out license to trade in petroleum products and is licensed to supply kerosene, and putting up a billboard or promotional or advertising poster without obtaining a license. As for building owners, the ministry will give a grace period of 3 days to correct the violation of not placing a container for construction waste. Three days will also be allowed to correct the violations such as the failure to present the municipal fee collection certificate related to a modified percentage of sales or unclear data. It will also include individuals and street vendors who violate sales, such as the absence of the license owner at the outlet. The ministry has set 7 days as grace period for correcting a number of violations, such as not removing the commercial signs after canceling the license, and sale violations committed by individuals and street vendors. Moreover, e-payment violations, building violations, which include the attempting to build, repair or demolish without obtaining a license, failure to dispose of damaged tires and collect them behind car service shops are among other listed violations. A period of 14 days was granted to the commercial establishments to correct several violations, such as practicing the activity after the expiration of the license, and many more. The violations included the lack of price on the offered goods, and many others such as violations of smoking inside stores, health violations, and gas stations violations. The ministry said some of the general violations include refusing to sell or not providing a service without a valid and justifiable reason. MOMRA has set 30 days as a grace to correct the violations related to buildings, and some violations of public sale, such as not opening a bank account for the establishment. Additionally, the ministry gave building owners 60 days to correct the violations of not removing dilapidated or collapsed buildings within two months of notifying.
