20 مليون ريال غرامة وتعليق الترخيص 6 أشهر

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture proposed updating the rules and procedures for the committees that review violations of the provisions of the system and its executive regulations.

The amendment includes imposing penalties on violators with one or more of the following penalties: a fine not exceeding 20 million riyals, suspension of the license or permit for a period not exceeding 6 months, revocation of the license or permit, and imposing a fine for each day the violator continues their violation after being notified of the decision.

The ministry also proposed doubling the penalty for the violator in the event of a repeated violation of the same nature within a year from the date of the previous penalty decision. Among the proposed amendments is a request for the competent court to rule on the confiscation of the seized items related to the violation.

The amendments addressed the regulations governing the work of the committees that review violations, impose penalties, and decide on objections and grievances. The committees have the authority to summon and hear the statements of anyone they deem relevant when reviewing a violation, and they may suffice with a written statement. They can request the attendance of any party involved in the violation and request any documents or evidence related to the violation. The committees apply the rules of Sharia litigation and the criminal procedure system in matters not specified in these rules, and in a manner that does not conflict with their competencies, powers, and nature of work. Evidence before the committees can be presented in all forms of proof that do not conflict with what is stipulated in the Evidence System. The violator may request the committee to grant them time to prepare their defense, and the committee must grant them sufficient time. If the violator or their representative does not attend the session after being notified of the session date, the session will be postponed, and another date will be set, which will be communicated to them or their representative. If they do not attend or their representative does not attend, or if they attend and then leave, the committees may proceed to consider the violation and issue a decision regarding it.

What if the violator refuses to speak?

The amendment emphasized that if the committees determine in a violation under consideration that there are other violators not included in the complaint or other facts related to the presented violation, they must refer the violation back to the competent authority to complete the relevant procedures. Upon completing the necessary procedures, the competent authority must inform the committee of what has been done.

If the violator denies committing the alleged violation, refuses to answer, or provides an unclear or irrelevant response, the committees must begin reviewing the evidence presented and take appropriate action regarding it. If reviewing the violation requires obtaining information from a government entity or other parties, the committees will send a letter to the relevant authority detailing the request, accompanied by copies of the relevant documents that need to be reviewed.

The committees decide on violations that do not exceed 5,000,000 riyals, while the minister or the chairman of the board of the competent authority approves the committees' decisions if the fine exceeds 5,000,000 riyals, especially if the committees' decisions include revocation of the license or permit.