VAT impact: Indians’ trip to UAE likely to be more expensive from New Year

News Network
December 27, 2017

As the United Arab Emirates is ready to embrace a new tax regime in the form of value added tax (VAT) on January 1, 2018, foreign tourists will have to shell out cost 5-7% more for their trip to Dubai or other parts of the UAEM from the New Year.

Due to its dwindling oil fortunes and weakening economy, UAE will levy VAT at 5% on a majority of goods and services including hotels, sightseeing tours and car hires.

"Accordingly, tour costs to UAE will increase by 6% to 7% due to the 5% tax and compliance cost that businesses will incur. Dubai is the biggest draw for outbound Indians and they, too, will have to pay more," said a travel agent from India.

"Even if we had confirmed bookings earlier for any service, 5% VAT will be applicable on services rendered in UAE from January 1, 2018.... We are in the process of sending amended invoice with 5% VAT for services already confirmed and invoiced. We request you to inform your guests in advance," says a mail circulated among tour agents in India by a leading travel distributor.

With UAE, especially Dubai, being a huge draw for Indian travellers, big travel companies have said they will try to minimise the impact of the enhanced cost for end users.

Karan Anand of Cox & Kings Ltd said: "The cost of a UAE holiday will rise marginally. Rhis has been factored in by travellers who plan to visit the Emirates. However, this will be offset by holiday offers we have lined up for Indian travellers who plan to celebrate the New Year, or travel for the Dubai Shopping Festival.... The UAE has been an attractive destination for Indians, and this year, Indian arrivals to Dubai crossed one million."

Just how big a draw UAE is for Indians can be gauged from the fact that of the 5.3 crore international travellers in 2016, 1.8 crore—over one-third of the total—had travelled between India and UAE. Mumbai-Dubai, followed by Delhi-Dubai were the two busiest international routes to and from India.

While many of those were flyers taking connecting flights from UAE's mega hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a majority of the 1.8 crore were flying between India and UAE.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bengaluru, June 23: A head constable from Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) committed suicide on board a bus after testing positive for COVID-19 in the city.

As per sources, the 50-year-old head constable had tested positive for coronavirus last evening and today he was being taken to a hospital in KSRP bus.

It is learned that he hanged himself to death inside the bus as there was no one else.

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News Network
March 25,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 25: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday targetted Centre over surge in coronavirus cases in the country, alleging that the government has miserably failed in tackling the unprecedented situation and was still not managing the crisis well.
"The government has miserably failed in tackling this very serious disease. They are not properly managing the crisis," senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah told ANI.
Siddaramaiah's response comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.
In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it.
The Prime Minister said the lockdown has drawn a "Lakshman Rekha" in every home and people should stay indoors for their own protection and for that of their families.
Noting that the Centre has on Tuesday allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the treatment of coronavirus patients and to strengthen health infrastructure, he said testing facilities, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and other necessary materials will be ramped up.
The Prime Minister said the country will have to bear the economic cost of lockdown but saving the life of every citizen is his priority and the priority of the Central and state governments as also of local administrations.
Noting that the virus spreads like fire, he said that if care is not taken for 21 days, the country, a family can go behind by 21 years.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases. A total of 22,694 samples from March 24 till 8 pm.
Ten people have died so far due to the deadly virus, according to the data by Union health ministry.

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News Network
April 28,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 28: A local court in Karnataka on Tuesday granted bail to a CRPF commando who was arrested by state police officials for alleged assault on them during COVID-19 lockdown duty, a charge contested strongly by the paramilitary.

The jawan has been taken to the jungle warfare training school of the paramilitary force in Belagavi district, a senior official said.

Constable Sachin Savant of the 207th CoBRA battalion was granted regular bail by a court located in Chikodi taluka of the district, he said.

A team of CRPF and CoBRA officials were present in the court during the proceeding during which the state police did not oppose the bail, the official said.

The commando was arrested by police on April 23 from Examba village (Belagavi district) when he was washing his bike outside his house without wearing a mask, as required under the coronavirus prevention protocol.

An altercation and physical fight took place between the two sides, following which the trooper was taken to the local police station and arrested.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had on Monday taken up the case with the Karnataka director general of police (DGP), calling the incident "unpleasant".

The CRPF letter said commando Savant was "manhandled, ill-treated, paraded to the police station barefooted, kept in chains and handcuffs" by police personnel and sought the intervention of state Director General of Police Praveen Sood.

The paramilitary had said that from the scrutiny of a viral video on social media of the incident "it is apparent that the conduct of the police personnel was not citizen-centric".

A police report had said the CoBRA commando "started the altercation" with the beat constable and another policeman accompanying him, and "assaulted" them.

As per the official Twitter handle of the Karnataka DGP's on Monday evening, "IGP (inspector-general of police) Belagavi has been asked to enquire into the incident involving the CRPF constable and action will be taken against guilty after receipt of the report".

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare.

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