Okaz/Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The tasks of monitoring and inspecting violations on the part of mayoralties and municipalities can be assigned to the private sector, according to the new municipal building regulations. There are provisions in the regulations to tighten supervision of construction projects and detection of violations. The regulations prohibit those who secure a permit to construct a building from exceeding the license limits, such as increasing the percentage of construction than the permissible limit or increasing the floors than the permitted number or not complying with the statutory rules or such other violations. The regulations stipulate that the violation shall be removed at the expense of the violator, and in cases where it is difficult to remove from the structural point of view, due to the impact of this on the safety of the building, the violation can be corrected by removing the resulting damage, with the offender paying half of the cost of the building involved in the violation. Moreover, it is obligatory on the part of the violator to correct it by removing the damage, provided that he should produce a certificate from an engineering office approved by the ministry proving the safety of the structure. According to the new regulations, several procedures are to be followed in the case of a building, which is constructed without proper license. If the building was constructed in violation of the approved plans, it shall be dismantled at the expense of the violator. In the event that it does neither contradict with the plan nor harm the neighbors and that it is in accordance with what is permitted in the building regulations or if the noted damage in the building is removable, the violator shall be penalized. The penalties include paying one-fourth of the construction cost, along with payment of the prescribed license fee, correction of the violation by removing the damage, and producing a certificate from a qualified engineering office from the ministry proving the safety of the building. If the constructed building violates building regulations and causes damage to neighbors that cannot be corrected by removing the damage, the building should be removed at the expense of the violator.