Category: News

ABU DHABI, 7th June, 2023 (WAM) The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has reported a notable growth in the demand and number of registrants in Muwafaq Package, which was launched in March to facilitate doing business and ensure tax compliance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The FTA held a Customer Council meeting in Abu Dhabi to discuss the Muwafaq Package initiative and highlight its role in supporting and encouraging entrepreneurs to comply with tax legislation. The meeting was part of the UAE Government’s Customer Councils initiative, which aims to enhance the quality of government services by engaging customers in efforts to design innovative experiences. During the meeting, a team of FTA experts gave a presentation on the objectives and features of the Muwafaq Package. The experts explained that the package provides innovative solutions to facilitate tax compliance for SMEs, as well as educational materials about tax procedures that are specifically designed for SMEs. SMEs registered in the tax system can access Muwafaq package through the electronic tax services portal EmaraTax, and benefit from the various features and incentives the Package offers to encourage tax compliance. The FTA team answered questions from representatives of SMEs participating in the Customer Councils, noting their opinions and observations about the FTA’s services, especially Muwafaq Package, as well as their suggestions in that regard. The Muwafaq Package offers a variety of features and incentives, including special rates on tax accounting programs and software, booking appointments with account managers who specialize in tax relations, exclusive packages from Tax Agents to Muwafaq registrants, priority in availing services for SME representatives, and workshops to raise awareness among SMEs registered for the Package. The Muwafaq Package is a valuable resource for SMEs that want to ensure they are in compliance with tax regulations. The package offers a variety of features and incentives that can help SMEs save money, get help with tax compliance, and get priority in availing services.

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

The UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme (ETA) will cost just £10, making travel to Britain cheaper and more accessible for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan. Nationals from Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will soon only be required to pay £10 to apply for an ETA, which will allow them to visit the UK multiple times over a two-year period, compared to Gulf nationals currently paying £30 per visit under the current Electronic Visa Wavier (EVW) scheme and Jordanian nationals £100 for a visit visa, said a statement by the British Embassy in Amman on Wednesday. The scheme is set to launch for Qatari nationals in October 2023, and for the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan in February 2024 ahead of a worldwide expansion throughout 2024, it added. Earlier this year, the UK government announced plans to introduce a new ETA scheme as part of digitizing the UK border by 2025 to further enhance border security and the customer experience. An ETA is a digital permission to travel for those visiting or transiting through the UK who do not need a visa for short stays, or who do not currently hold another UK visa. “Visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan make a huge contribution to the UK’s tourism industry and the new ETA scheme will make it easier and cheaper for them to travel to the UK,” said Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick. “The cost of an ETA will be one of the best values in the world compared to similar international schemes. This small additional cost to visitors will enable us to bolster the security of the UK border and keep our communities safe.” Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia Lord Ahmad said: “I’m delighted that our partners across the Gulf and Jordan will be the first to benefit from the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. This scheme is further proof of the strong partnership between the UK and countries across the region.” “By cutting costs and visa requirements, the ETA scheme will ensure visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan can enjoy traveling with ease to the UK, boosting business and tourism links between our countries,” he added. Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with over 790,000 Gulf visitors spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK last year, noted the statement. The move to the ETA scheme means that the visa requirement will be removed for nationals from GCC states and Jordan, bringing the requirements for them to visit the UK in line with other visitors, such as those from the US and Australia. The application process for an ETA will be simple and fast to complete, with the process being entirely digital via a mobile phone app. To apply, individuals must provide biographic and biometric details such as a digital photograph and answer a set of suitability questions.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Minister of Justice, “Halima Ibrahim,” participated, on Wednesday, in the 71st meeting of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice, which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo.

During the meeting, the Executive Office decided to host Libya for the 73rd meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice.

The meeting discussed the issue of criminalizing the payment of ransoms to terrorists, combating terrorism, studying the draft Arab agreement related to dealing with the conditions of refugees, and the guiding Arab law to prevent hate speech.

Source: Libyan News Agency

Coaches of media education at the Jordan Media Institute, Rana Issa, and Monther Qattab emerged as winners in a debate on media and information literacy organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the participation of 12 countries from around the world. According to a statement released by the institute on Wednesday, the Jordanian team advanced to the final stage of the competition after a successful performance against the Egyptian team. The competition comprised six debates with the objective of raising awareness about media and information literacy, promoting critical thinking, and highlighting the role of youth in shaping societal awareness within the digital space and artificial intelligence. The debates focused on reinforcing the understanding of the concept of ‘citizen journalism’, its prerequisites, and its legal aspects. They also emphasized the distinction between freedom of expression and violations of human dignity, including character assassination. Additionally, the importance of media education and literacy in enhancing the skills of citizens when utilizing the press or public publishing platforms was underscored, along with the significance of adhering to ethical standards in journalism. Issa emphasized the significance of the multi-party debate as an important experience aimed at disseminating media education and literacy among people. She highlighted the importance of comprehending the laws, legislative systems, and ethical regulations governing publishing activities across all platforms. “Individuals who are employed in journalism and have completed their studies at journalism schools possess a deep understanding of the regulations that govern the media industry. Consequently, it is crucial to prioritize the concept of citizen journalism and implement thorough regulation in order to raise awareness of media education principles and the legal responsibilities established by international and local laws,” she added. Qattab highlighted the significance of the interactive UNESCO debate, which strives to strengthen media and information literacy among the participating teams, adding that it also explored the implementation of professional standards in journalism, facilitating the exchange of diverse perspectives and experiences among participants regarding media education across different Arab countries.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The US Special Envoy to Libya, Ambassador Richard Norland, affirmed that the Libyans have a common interest in reaching an agreement to ensure that state funds are used transparently and fairly, with an increase in oil revenues.

This came in a tweet by the envoy Norland, published by the US embassy on Twitter, after a meeting in Washington. He said that it came at the right time between the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (Al-Siddik Al-Kabeer) and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury (Eric Meyer) to discuss budget transparency, revenue management, combating money laundering, and others. of financial issues.

Source: Libyan News Agency

General Cultural Women’s Authority in Sana’a governorate organized a protest stand. Coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of the massacre of Yemeni pilgrims committed by the Saudi regime against 3,000 Yemeni pilgrims in Tanomah and Sedwan in 1341 AH.

The participants emphasized that the commemoration of the Tanomah and Sadwan massacre reminds generations of the black history of the criminal Saudi regime, which has been addicted to it since its inception.

A statement issued by the vigil affirmed that the Yemeni blood will not be wasted, and that the feelings of intense anger are still burning, and the fire of sadness burns in the hearts of the Yemenis.

The statement called for introducing the injustice of the Tanomah massacre, and the massacres of the ongoing Saudi-American aggression, coupled with mentioning the victories, into the school curricula. For male and female students to learn about the extent of the hidden hatred of the House of Saud.

The statement stressed the importance of documenting all the events and crimes of the ongoing Saudi-American aggression, preserving and archiving it in the relevant official and private institutions, and on the Internet, and enabling researchers to access and benefit from it.

The statement called for re-raising the issue of compensation for Tanomah martyrs in any negotiations that might arise between Yemen and the Saudis. As it is still an open file that has not been resolved by the Taif Treaty

The statement called on all the Arab and Islamic peoples affected by the satanic regime (the Al Saud regime), especially the scholars, to cooperate in preparing for the comprehensive confrontation to overthrow this regime, and to help the people of the island in choosing.

He also called on the Arab and Islamic peoples to take action to liberate the Two Holy Mosques at the hands of the faithful saints of God.

Source: Yemen News Agency