How KSA protected its economy
Ministry of Commerce put in place a number of measures to help firms weather the financial effects of COVID-19
The Ministry of Commerce played a proactive role in protecting businesses and consumers during the coronavirus disease pandemic, working in conjunction with the public and private sectors.
Continuous analysis was conducted on a daily basis to guarantee the continuity of services to the business sector and ensure consumer protection during the pandemic. The ministry focused on four pathways: The business sector, consumer protection and availability of products, coordination with government agencies, and e-commerce.
1
The business sector
The government mitigated the pandemic’s economic impact on the private sector, deferring charges for commercial certificates for more than 116 businesses. The ministry also formed ad-hoc committees across the country to guarantee continuity of services. Ministry spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Hussain said the ministry assigned employees to carry out different transactions for businesses, sparing citizens the trouble of physically visiting branches. The employees contacted business owners and finalized all procedures remotely.
2
Consumer protection and availability of products
The ministry ran over 400,000 inspection visits to ensure that products were available.
“We communicated directly with
the suppliers and distributors of the basic commodities and made sure they had ample inventory and resolved any issue faced by suppliers and distributors,” Al-Hussain said, adding the ministry tightened control on markets, outlets, warehouses and wholesalers to keep
prices stable. An electronic system was established to monitor prices of food items, and over 30,000 penalties were given to people for price manipulation and other offences. The ministry also increased callcenter employee numbers to help people with complaints.
3
Coordination with government authorities
Al-Hussain said the ministry continuously coordinated with the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to ensure availability of ample quantities of sanitizers and face masks, while more than 25 million face masks and sanitizers were confiscated from different stores and outlets for price manipulation.
The ministry coordinated with the General Authority for Competition to investigate monopolistic and exploitative practices during the pandemic. It also coordinated with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to ensure no shortages of essential food items, and to encourage local producers to increase production.
4
E-commerce
Al-Hussain said the ministry worked with the Communications and Information Technology Commission to link hypermarkets and pharmacies with 32 phone delivery apps, and to launch a campaign encouraging the general public to make use of them.
The ministry also worked closely with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to find urgent solutions to the challenges facing shipping and delivery companies.
Al-Hussain said the approach “resulted in great success. The ministry and other agencies worked together to ensure there were food supplies, the largest inventory in the Middle East.”