Regulation to Suspend Government Services Comes Into Force in Saudi Arabia
The Regulation to Suspend Government Services came into force in Saudi Arabia on Monday, coinciding with the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan.
The regulation aims at causing no harm to individuals and businesses due to the suspension of government services. There are provisions in the regulation aimed at preserving the rights of the parties concerned as well as to raise the level of compliance and commitment. The enforcement of the regulation comes in accordance with specific controls and models at the platforms of government agencies linked to the regulation, through the Absher Individuals and Businesses platform and the Muqeem portal.
The regulation specifies that government services shall be suspended only after giving a grace period for rectifying the violation. It is also not allowed to suspend services related to treatment, education, work, the commercial registration, or documentation in a way harming the beneficiary or his dependents. The suspension of services shall be implemented only on the basis of a legal document and that is after the expiry of the grace period.
The regulation stipulates that suspension of services shall be carried out in three phases, with each phase covering a specific period of time. There will be 15 days each in the first and second phases and that can be extended for another 15 days, while the period in the third phase will be determined in accordance with what is specified in the statutory document for the suspension, and that shall be submitted by the government authority, which is requesting the suspension. In the event of rectifying the reason for suspension of services, the suspension shall be lifted within a period not exceeding 24 hours by the relevant government entity.
There are provisions in the regulation that enable individuals and businesses to submit a request to extend the grace period granted to them before suspension of the services. They are also entitled to know the entity that suspends the services
