In a decision it took, the Shura Council called on the Ministry of Commerce to study the possibility of applying “the owner of the establishment took prior approvals from the ministry to increase commodity prices,” to support its price control tools in a manner consistent with the Saudi market.
This came during the thirty-third regular session of the Council of the work of the third year of the eighth session, which it held, headed by the Vice-President of the Council, Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami, at the Council’s headquarters in Riyadh today (Wednesday).
The Council made its decision after listening to the viewpoint of the Trade and Investment Committee, which was read by the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Fahd Al-Tekhaifi, regarding the members’ remarks and opinions they expressed regarding what was included in the annual report of the Ministry of Commerce for the fiscal year 1444/1443, after discussing it in a previous session, calling for coordination with the authorities. To find the necessary legislative solutions in the car sales and after-sales services sector to ensure an increase in the supply of cars to cover local demand and reduce costs and requirements for car agencies.
In the same decision, the Council demanded that the Ministry of Commerce be empowered with the necessary tools to develop platforms that serve the business sector in coordination with the relevant authorities, including foreign investor services to enhance confidence in the commercial and investment environment.
The council also called on the ministry to coordinate with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to study the development of supply chains for local agricultural products, in a way that guarantees the economic viability of those products and protects consumers.
The council’s decision also included a request to the Ministry of Commerce, in coordination with the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, to develop control mechanisms for points of sale and electronic stores, in a way that guarantees consumer protection from commercial fraud and fraud.
In another decision it took during the session, the Shura Council issued its decision regarding the annual report of the Saudi Organization for Standardization, Metrology and Quality for the fiscal year 1443/1444, after it listened to the report of the Trade and Investment Committee, which was presented to the council by the head of the committee, Dr. Fahd Al-Takhifi.
The Council called on the Saudi Organization for Standardization, Metrology and Quality to build a technical platform to classify the level of vehicle safety in the Saudi market, according to standards commensurate with the needs of consumers.
In his decision, he called on the authority to coordinate with the relevant authorities to review the activities of the initiative, the Saudi Product Safety Program and its targets, in line with the development in traditional and electronic commerce and to enhance the safety of consumer products offered in the Saudi market.
The council also called on the authority to re-evaluate the objectives and potentials of the program of support and awareness of the quality infrastructure for local manufacturers, to achieve the alignment of its programs with national strategies and programs to enhance the national industry.
In the same decision, the Shura Council demanded that the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization be empowered with the legal and regulatory tools to activate the business center to provide its services in a commercial manner. To achieve the Authority’s self-financial sustainability and to enhance its regional and international leadership.
In another decision taken during today’s session, the Shura Council called on the General Authority for Ports to enhance the utilization of non-main ports, such as Jazan Port and Jubail Commercial Port, and to expedite their conversion into specialized ports.
The Council took its decision after listening to the report of the Committee on Transport, Communications and Information Technology, which was read by the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mutaib Al-Mutairi, regarding what was included in the annual report of the General Authority for Ports for the fiscal year 1443/1444.
In its decision, the Council called on the Authority to enhance the utilization of the port’s property by maximizing its revenues or investing it in partnership with the private sector in areas such as ship repair, catering and other activities, calling in the same decision the General Authority for Ports to maximize the growth rate of container handling and the capacity of Saudi ports, to achieve the goals of the national strategy. For transportation and logistics.
The Shura Council, in a decision taken during the same session, called on the National Center for Water Efficiency and Rationalization to develop a time plan of action with clear performance indicators, to implement its initiatives in the targeted urban, agricultural and industrial sectors.
The Council made its decision after listening to the report presented by the Water, Agriculture and Environment Committee, Dr. Khalid Zubair, on the annual report of the National Center for Water Efficiency and Rationalization for the fiscal year 1443/1444, and his response to the observations and opinions of Council members during the session.
In its focused decision, the council demanded – in coordination with the Research, Development and Innovation Development Authority – to develop research in the field of innovative technologies for water efficiency and rationalization.
Among the topics on the agenda of this session, the Council discussed the annual report of the Environment Fund for the fiscal year 1443/1444, after listening to the report of the Water, Agriculture and Environment Committee, which was read by the Committee’s Chairman, Dr. Khaled Zubair.
During this session, the Shura Council also discussed the annual report of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology for the fiscal year 1443/1444, after listening to the report of the Education and Scientific Research Committee, which was read by the head of the committee, Dr. Aisha Zakry.
After the committee’s report was presented for discussion, the members of the council expressed a number of remarks and opinions, as the member of the Shura Council, Dr. Yasser Hafez, called for the support of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to establish pioneering emerging companies as an investment arm of the city that achieves financial, scientific and technical support for it, and coordination with the Saudi Space Authority and the relevant authorities to build A research laboratory and space launch base in the south of the Kingdom.
In turn, a member of the Shura Council, Engineer Nabih Al-Ibrahim, during his intervention on the annual report of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, praised the efforts made by the city through the King Abdulaziz Center for Astronomy and Navigation in meeting the needs of the nation in the field of astronomy, whether through research and studies, or by updating astronomical applications and devices. Various observations and identification of astronomical observatories, and the great services it provides with highly qualified national hands that have proven their worth.
At the end of the discussion, the committee requested that it be given more time to study the opinions and proposals put forward by the members and to return its point of view to the council at a later session.
In the same context, during this session, the Council discussed the annual report of the Alimony Fund for the fiscal year 1443/1444, after listening to the report of the Islamic and Judicial Affairs Committee, which was read by the head of the committee, Dr. Ali Al-Shahrani.
After the committee’s report was presented for discussion, the members of the council expressed a number of observations and opinions, as a member of the Shura Council, Dr. Nasser Al-Mousa, called for an assessment of the alimony fund by a neutral party, to identify the challenges facing it, and to provide appropriate solutions to overcome them.
For his part, Council member Dr. Hadi Al-Yami called on the Fund to study the activation of deterrent aspects for those who abstain or evade paying alimony with the relevant parliamentary and judicial authorities, in light of what was stipulated in the Child Protection Law and the Protection from Abuse Law, as refraining from alimony is a form of negligence, and thus is considered A punishable crime.
In his intervention, Council member Dr. Attia Al-Atwi called on the alimony fund to address the low rate of collection of the amounts spent for alimony, and to put in place the necessary mechanisms to raise the collection rate.
At the end of the discussion, the committee requested that it be given more time to study the opinions and proposals put forward by the members and to return its point of view to the council at a later session.
