Arab News, Saturday, May 07, 2022 | Shawwal 06, 1443
Expat workers to be deported for tampering with gas station pumps
Saudi Arabia: Expatriate workers who
were caught altering the prices at gas stations will be deported and will not be
permitted to reenter Saudi Arabia.
The workers were caught after complaints were sent
to the Ministry of Commerce — backed up by videos posted on social media showing
them tampering with gas-pump meters — which launched an investigation into the
matter.
The ministry tweeted a joint statement from
itself, the Ministry of Energy, and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality
Organization, stating that they had inspected a number of gas stations following
reports of illegal practices from a number of consumers.
The investigation revealed that certain workers
had retrieved past meter readings and modified them to the highest pricing
level.
The last 10 readings from gas pumps can be
retrieved for accounting purposes or in the event of any complaints or reports,
the ministry explained.
In order to protect the interests of customers,
SASO’s National Metrology Program plans to codify this feature in coordination
with gas-pump manufacturers, it added.
The statement also confirmed that inspections of
specific gas stations in the Eastern Province and Jeddah governorate are
continuing in order to discover whether further violations have taken place.
“Expatriate employees who are caught red-handed
will be sent to the security authorities for deportation and will not be
permitted to reenter the Kingdom,” the joint statement read.
The three government agencies reiterated their
commitment to protecting consumer rights and responding to complaints and
reports submitted via the commercial violation service telephone number — 1900 —
or the ministry’s website.