DUBAI: Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs highlighted the important relationship between Dubai Customs and its clients and said the Department considers them as partners in decision making and listening to them and following their positive suggestions is a priority. In the 21st meeting of Dubai Customs Consultative Council, Musabih pointed out that continuous development is a necessity for survival and growth. The meeting convened recently and was attended by Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division at Dubai Customs, Ahmed Al Yaqoubi, Projects Delivery Director, Khalfan Al Keaibi, Manager of Customer Relation Section, and Mohammed Faraj, client management expert, plus a number of managers and council members.
The meeting which was held in Al Furdah Hall in Dubai Customs main building covered a number of topics including the added value tax and the selective tax. Members of Federal Tax Authority were present to answer different questions. HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi issued the Federal Law No. (7) on selective tax which sets the foundations of tax procedures, tax implementation, tax rates, tax obligations, cases of tax exemption, as well as procedures and rules of tax registration and cancellation. The law outlines cases in which tax registration or de-registration are exempted in addition to rules with regards to tax payment or exemption. The law also stipulates selective tax procedures to be implemented for each designated area, as well as rules and regulations with regards to cases of transfer of selective goods within designated zones, general framework of calculation of tax and tax deductions. The law specifies the tax period, tax declaration, tax payment mechanisms and tax evasion and penalties. These procedures will come into effect from 1 October 2017.
Members of Dubai Customs Consultative Council learnt also about the latest preparations for Expo2020. Representatives from Expo2020 office showcased a number of business opportunities that will be available during the international event. Musabih, who heads the Consultative Council, highlighted the importance of creative services including the Virtual Corridor, Smart Workspace, Artificial Intelligence “Jawab” Service and the Authorized Economic Operator.