“FTA” commends the role of “ICA” in refund system of “VAT” to tourists

H.E Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Acting Director-General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship commends the level of cooperation and coordination between the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship and “Federal Tax Authority”, which played a vital role in the completion of the 1^st phase of the e-system for refunding VAT to tourists, which has been operating in accordance with the highest applicable international standards.

He affirmed, within a press release published by newspapers today, that application of the new system will contribute to the activation and attraction of tourism to UAE, especially as the Cabinet has taken a series of Decrees, including the discharge of foreigners’ companions coming to the State for tourism, who are under 18 years, from payment of visa fees from 15 July until 15 September annually. In addition, discharging transit tourists from payment-visa fees for the first 48 hours, which contributes to the establishment of an integrated legislative, procedural, and technological system to encourage and activate the tourism sector.

Brigadier Al Rashidi said: “We are committed to intensify and strengthen cooperative relations and ongoing coordination to promote integration principle within developing and upgrading the infrastructure of tourism and travel sector, which represents the most significant participation in the domestic product of the State”.

FTA affirmed that the e-system for refunding VAT to tourists achieved notable success since the beginning of applying the 1^st phase as of last Sunday, referring that officials of the FTA were keen to appear at airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, which are ports listed in the plan of launching 1^st phase of the project, in order to directly ensure the efficiency of operating the system and absence of any comments from tourists using it.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of FTA, affirmed that the smooth launch of the new system was the result of strategic partnerships between FTA and all concerned parties in the State, especially ICA which played a vital role in launching the e-system to refund VAT to tourists, stressing that such partnerships played a key role in the successful application of the system, as significant goals were achieved through this system, of which verifying tourist information, refunding eligibility, and raising awareness of the new system and its mechanisms among involved parties such as retailers around the State.

He referred that ICA made significant efforts and worked very closely with FTA, especially in the facilitation of verification processes of tourist information from purchases until leaving the State, in order to avoid manipulation.

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