RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has proposed a maximum fine of SR50000 for any shop or facility that practices any food activity without obtaining a municipal license. It has also proposed fines up to SR 2000 as a penalty in the event of detecting cats or dogs or rodents inside a food facility. The penalty will be doubled in the event of the repeat of the violation. The SFDA published the proposals on the public survey platform Istitlaa, seeking public opinion and suggestions before putting the draft into its final shape. The authority proposes to make amendments in the table of violations and the penalties prescribed for them in the Food Law and its executive regulations. This is aimed to make fines proportionate to the size of the violations and their impact. It also targets to increase the efficiency of imposing penalties on violating establishments, and contributing to achieving the objectives of the law and its regulations so as to ensure food safety and security. According to the draft amendments, violators will be imposed with a maximum fine of SR5,000 in the event of practicing any commercial activity after the expiry of the license, or practicing an activity in violation of the licensed activity, or practicing an activity without obtaining a license from the entity supervising the activity, or submitting incorrect documents when issuing an instance license. The maximum penalty for reopening a shop or facility before the end of the period of closure prescribed by the municipality as a penalty is SR10,000, and the fine for disposing of or tampering with seized materials without the approval of the competent authority is SR5,000. The maximum fine for slaughtering animals or birds in unlicensed locations is SR2,000. According to the draft, fines for hygiene violations ranged between SR200 and SR4,000 while the maximum fine for sewage leakage or overflow inside the facility is SR4,000. Fine for the presence of rodents, insects or public health pests or violations thereof inside the shop or facility is SR2,000 as a maximum, while the fine for not cleaning devices, tools or utensils is SR1,000. The same fine will be slapped for violations related to terms and conditions regarding used water as well as for the low level of cleanliness of home delivery devices. The draft amendments stipulate that the fine shall be doubled in the event of repetition of the violation, with a condition that the original fine shall be doubled only once until the end of 24 months from the first violation, with the exception of serious violations for which case the original fine shall be doubled up to four times within 24 months from the first violation. Violations shall be recorded only on the branch of the violating establishment without affecting the remaining branches.
