NRIs in UAE get insurence plan for Parents in India

Oman Insurance Company in partnership with Star Health Insurance (India) has launched a health insurance plan – Parents Health – for non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in the UAE and their parents in India. The comprehensive plan offers cost effective health cover for NRIs’ parents and parents-in-law back in their home country. Additionally, it offers a Personal Accident cover for the applicant.
While people live and work in the UAE, the good health of their parents back home always concerns them. Keeping this in mind, the product is designed to cover expenses arising from unforeseen illness and provide benefits like in-patient hospitalization, health check-up, hospital cash benefit, day care treatments and dental and ophthalmic cover to the applicant’s parents in India. It also provides one way air ticket to the applicant in case any of the parent needs to be admitted in the hospital for major illness like stroke, cancer or liver disease and gives the option to continue the policy in case the applicant relocates to India. The plan has 5 different coverage bands extending from Bronze to Diamond depending on the sum insured limits. To ensure great service, the product provides cashless service at over 7,400 network hospitals in India and offers reimbursement of claims at non-network hospitals.

Celine Messerschmitt, Senior Vice President Strategic Partnerships at Oman Insurance, said “We are excited to release this innovative products with Star Health as this is one of its kind product in the region. With affordable premium options, the product will surely benefit NRIs by reducing the burden of worrying about the health and wellbeing of their parents back home.”

Anand Roy, Senior Vice President at Star Health, commented “With the wide network of hospitals and a comprehensive insurance solution, members can be guaranteed exceptional care and service. With a simple application process, and no requirement for medical tests, the plan is a unique proposition for Indians working in the UAE.”

The policy will be issued by Oman Insurance Company. It will be offered in association with Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd. (India), acting as the reinsurer and international administrator, ensuring faster and hassle-free claim settlements in India.

UAE confirms 5% VAT from January 1, 2018

The UAE has announced the official date January 1, 2018  implementing a 5 per cent VAT rate. “The percentage will be 5 per cent,” Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, told reporters on Wednesday after a joint press conference with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in Dubai.

“As per the GCC Supreme Council resolution, VAT [in the UAE] will be implemented as of January 1, 2018,” he said.Al Tayer noted that the framework agreement on the implementation of VAT across the GCC is expected to be signed off in June, 2016.“Other countries can implement [at the same time] or take a later date of implementation, of January 1, 2019,” Al Tayer said.Which means that while the UAE is keen on 2018 implementation, it is possible that some other GCC peers implement it at a later date (no longer than a year later, though).

The UAE had, earlier this year, confirmed a VAT rate of between 3 and 5 per cent across the GCC, with Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary at the MoF, revealing that the GCC countries have agreed to unify their tax policies before the introduction of the VAT.

At that time, Al Khoori reckoned that the UAE stands to earn estimated VAT revenues of between Dh10 billion and Dh12 billion in the first year of its application.

He had reiterated that this amount is after exempting sectors such as healthcare and education in addition to several food items of the new tax. Al Tayer, meanwhile, noted that the Ministry is currently in early stages of studying the potential economic and social impacts of implementing corporate tax.

The UAE Finance Ministry also confirmed that it is not considering implementing a personal income tax on individuals, according to Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm.

Al Tayer said that the UAE hasn’t undertaken any study on personal income tax so far and said that no such proposal was under consideration.

He added that the current priority of the Ministry was putting in place the infrastructure required for the implementation of VAT.

The IMF’s Lagarde had, earlier this week, reiterated the Fund’s taxation advice to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which included implementing VAT as a first step towards generating higher and more reliable revenue streams.
Why VAT?
The IMF is only one among other international bodies that have been advising the UAE and the rest of the GCC countries to introduce taxation among several options for the government to strengthen their revenue base in order to minimise dependence on the fluctuating global oil price.

Al Tayer has now revealed that agreements having been reached by members of the GCC on certain aspects of the VAT systems and the remaining question now is when everyone across the GCC will implement it.

“Governments in the region are facing deficit budgets over the short- to medium-term due to the low oil price environment. Policymakers will be prompted to introduce the VAT regime sooner rather than later,” Finbarr Sexton – Mena Indirect Tax Leader at EY, told this website earlier.
of implementing a 5 per cent VAT rate.

“The percentage will be 5 per cent,” Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, told reporters on Wednesday after a joint press conference with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in Dubai.

“As per the GCC Supreme Council resolution, VAT [in the UAE] will be implemented as of January 1, 2018,” he said.

Is January 1, 2018, final for all GCC countries?

Al Tayer noted that the framework agreement on the implementation of VAT across the GCC is expected to be signed off in June, 2016.

“Other countries can implement [at the same time] or take a later date of implementation, of January 1, 2019,” Al Tayer said.

Which means that while the UAE is keen on 2018 implementation, it is possible that some other GCC peers implement it at a later date (no longer than a year later, though).

The UAE had, earlier this year, confirmed a VAT rate of between 3 and 5 per cent across the GCC, with Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary at the MoF, revealing that the GCC countries have agreed to unify their tax policies before the introduction of the VAT. At that time, Al Khoori reckoned that the UAE stands to earn estimated VAT revenues of between Dh10 billion and Dh12 billion in the first year of its application.

He had reiterated that this amount is after exempting sectors such as healthcare and education in addition to several food items of the new tax.Al Tayer, meanwhile, noted that the Ministry is currently in early stages of studying the potential economic and social impacts of implementing corporate tax.

Al Tayer said that the UAE hasn’t undertaken any study on personal income tax so far and said that no such proposal was under consideration. He added that the current priority of the Ministry was putting in place the infrastructure required for the implementation of VAT.

The IMF’s Lagarde had, earlier this week, reiterated the Fund’s taxation advice to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which included implementing VAT as a first step towards generating higher and more reliable revenue streams.

Post on social media without consent, get jail in U.A.E

People posting pictures of others on social media networks without their permission could be jailed for six months and fined up to Dh500,000 under the UAE's IT law.

Many social media users are not aware of such a law, says a senior Dubai Police officer.

"Some people do not know that if they photograph a person and post the picture on social networks or other electronic devices, it becomes a punishable crime according to the UAE law,” Major General Mohammed Al Shareef, Assistant Police Commander for Administration said, after launching a social media awareness campaign.

"This crime involves a jail term of six months and a fine of Dh150,000-500,000. We need the public to know that this is a big crime in the UAE because some people do it for fun without knowing they will be prosecuted.”

Another officer warned parents against allowing children to have their own social media account as they could be victims of blackmail and other threats.

“They should control their children because letting them have their own social network account could make them easy prey to blackmail and other crime,” said Mohammed Abdullah, Director, Decision Support Centre, Dubai Police.

He said many countries enforce certain protocols, curbing the use of social media by children till a specific age in order to protect them from possible threats.

Transfer of Residence visa for Employees from a private sector to another private sector in U.A.E

This involves procedures of Naturalization and Residency Administration/Dubai to transfer the sponsorship of employees from a company to another by the approval of the ministry of labor.

Applicant:Sponsor, Agent

Documents Required

1. Prepaid Application of Issuing and transferring residence visa.
2. Photographs of the sponsored
3. The medical test in original or online.
4. Sponsorship transfer application approved by (entry permits dept.) with fees paid.
5. Copy of the company valid trade license.
6. Copy of the company valid establishment card.

Fees Required

Classifying the Fees Required:

1-(870) AED fees of issuing a residence visa with sponsorship transfer paid through E-Form and broken down as follows :

(500 )AED local sponsorship transfer fees.

(100) AED federal fees for issuing residence visa ( maximum 3 years)

(50) AED local fees.

(10) AED Datel services fees

(10) AED knowledge Dirham.

2-(130) AED urgent application fees ( optional ) to be broken down as follows:

(100) AED local fees.

(10) AED administrative fees.

(10) AED bank charges.

(10) AED Knowledge Dirham.

3-(20) AED Zajil delivery service for ordinary applications (optional) .

The service shall be offered at the following sections to the building employees in charge only:

1- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai General Headquarters Branch -Dubai Police.

2-. General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai Municipality Clinic Branch.

3- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai -  Dubai Media City Branch.

4- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai- Dubai Financial Center Branch.

5- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai - Rashid Hospital Branch.

 Submission Places

1. General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, 
2. Dubai Industrial City Branch,
3.  Dnata Section-Sheikh Zayed Road,
4.  Um Suqaim Section, 
5. Ladies Section – Residence Department, 
6. Al Arabi Center Section, 
7. Medical Fitness Section, 
8. Dubai Airport Free Zone Area Section, 
9. Bin Sougat Center Section,
10.  Jebel Ali Section,
11.  Hatta Section, 
12. Hayatt Regency Section, 
13. Dnata- Deira Section, 
14. His Highness Dubai Ruler’s Court Section, 
15. Emirate Airlines Section, 
16. Municipality Clinic Section,
17.  Al-Safa Clinic Section,
18.  Dubai Technology and Media City Section, 
19. Dubai International Financial Center Section,
20.  Rashid Hospital Section.

Employment ban for Two years now stricter in Oman

Muscat: If you leave your job and leave Oman, you won’t be coming back to work for two years ... even if you have a No Objection Certificate (NOC).That was the stark message from a top Royal Oman Police (ROP) official .

According to the official, it now makes no difference whether employees complete their contract or not, they will be simply denied clearance to work inside Oman for the two-year period regardless of service or possession of an NOC from their ex-employer.“The immigration department has stressed that the NOC letter is not valid anymore in this matter. Any expatriate worker who leaves Oman has to spend two years abroad before joining another company in Oman,” a top official at ROP told Times of Oman.

“However, if he has plans to join the same employer, he can do it without waiting for two years,” the official added.

According to the official, the decision was taken based on Article 11 of the Immigration Code, which states that an expatriate worker who leaves Oman has to spend two years abroad before returning to Oman.Said bin Naser Al Sadi, advisor to the Minister of Manpower, said the move was outside of the ministry's remit.

“This decision was taken by the ROP and has nothing to do with the Ministry of Manpower,” said Al Sadi. “We can talk about the work rule but for entrance and exit from the country comes under the ROP and we can’t interfere,” he added.

It means that the only way an expat employee can join a new company is if he stays within Oman and his previous employer is prepared to lose the clearance from his quota of expat staff by granting an NOC.