Number plate upgrade mandatory in Dubai from July 2018

Following the introduction of a new number plate design last year, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has now kicked off a campaign urging all motorists to upgrade to the new plates, ahead of mandatory upgrades from July for select codes.

The upgrade is currently available for all types of distinguished and special number plates across all codes, and from May it will also be available optionally for unowned (allotted randomly through vehicle registration) plates.

According to RTA, over the next couple of years, all categories of vehicle number plates will have to be replaced. As the RTA presses ahead with its new plates regime, unowned car plates with codes A, B and C will be among the first to be up for mandatory replacement from July.

The new number plate design that includes either a black and white or colour Dubai logo, depending on the amount you pay, was launched last year after the introduction of double codes necessitated a redesign.

“The RTA has developed a new strategy for number plates resulting in a new generation of number plates with double codes. This has accordingly resulted in the whole design for the number plates to be changed to adopt the single and double codes with the same design language,” said Sultan Al Marzouqi, director of RTA’s Vehicle Licensing.

The double codes are being introduced as the RTA is running out of single codes, as the number of vehicles continues to rise at an alarming rate in Dubai.

Replacement in 2 years

According to RTA, over the next couple of years, all categories of vehicle number plates — whether purchased online, bought in an auction or allotted through the vehicle registration process — will have to be replaced in phases.

In the next phase, beginning January next year, plates with codes D, E, F, G, H and I will have to be replaced, while in January 2020 replacement for codes J, K, L, M, N and O will start and following that in January 2021, it will be the turn of all unowned plates with codes P to Z as well as other types of plates.

Depending on the size of the plates and colour of the logo, the prices of the plates vary.

A regular short number plate with a black and white logo will cost Dh35, while a long number plate in the same category will cost Dh50.

For those who already own number plates with the colour logo of Dubai, the replacement for the long and short plates will cost Dh35 and Dh50, respectively, while those who want to buy a new plate with coloured Dubai logo will have to pay Dh400 irrespective of the plate’s size.

As for the distinguished or special number plates, the replacement will cost Dh500, with the process to be completed mandatorily by the end of this year.

Al Marzouqi said motorists with owned number plates willing to get the plates replaced can either proceed immediately to any of the RTA-affiliated vehicle testing and registration centres or get it replaced at the time of their scheduled renewal, while those with unowned number plates can wait till May to do the same

Good conduct Certificate must for workers Change jobs in the UAE

Good conduct Certificate in the UAE

Security checks are now covering all new work permits, including workers switching jobs in the UAE, official sources told. According to a source, it is now mandatory for workers planning to change jobs in the UAE to produce a certificate of good conduct, regardless of the length of their service.

From June 1, the good conduct certificate will be mandatory for all domestic workers, revoking the exemption currently in force for Filipino and Indonesian workers, according to the source.

“Expatriate workers planning to switch jobs will now have to produce certificates of good conduct from the local police,” an official source told. The source said now candidates applying for their first job in the UAE and those planning to change jobs will have to produce certificates of good conduct.

“For candidates applying for their first job in the UAE, the security screening of job candidates means that they will have to produce good conduct certificates from their home countries, or the country, or countries, of their residence for work, or study, for the past five years, while those who wish to change jobs can obtain the good conduct certificate from local police,” the source said.

Security Vetting:  The source affirmed the security vetting is a mean of judging a job candidate’s past mistakes, character, and fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons and to ensure the safety and security of the employees as well as their public and private employers.

If the applicant for a first job in the UAE has lived and worked in more than one country in the past five years, a certificate of good conduct from each country must be produced.

The source said residents born and lived in the UAE until they apply for a job will now also be required to present a good conduct certificate, which they can obtain from the local police.

The source said, for now, workers who apply for renewal of work permit are not required to produce a certificate of good conduct.

However, the source said, those born and lived in the UAE for a while but left for home or another country before applying for a job, must produce a good conduct certificate from their home country or the country of their residence for work, or study, for the past five years.

The good conduct certificates must be certified by the UAE’s missions abroad or attested at customer happiness centres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The security screening is only mandatory for job candidates but not for their dependents or family members.

The certificate is not required for tourists, students and people who come to the UAE on medical or mission visas, issued for the purpose of temporary work in the country for three months and can be renewed for a similar period.

The good conduct certificate will be produced on applying for a job visa, issued by residency departments to foreigners who wish to work for a company in the UAE upon the approval of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The visa allows the holders to enter the UAE once and is valid for two months from the date of issue. When the employee has entered the country on the basis of the job visa, the sponsoring company will arrange to complete the formalities of medical and stamping his residence within 60 days.

Skilled workers can enter multiple employer contract in the UAE

Skilled workers, both Emirati and expatriates, can now enter a multiple employer contracts after obtaining approval of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, according to a new ministerial decision.

Under the decision signed by Naser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resource and Emiratisation, companies can recruit skilled workers — holder of university degree or higher and those who completed their diploma in any field — from inside the country of overseas under part-time contracts, which allow these workers to take several part-time jobs without approval of the original or other employers. The new system is implemented alongside with the existing system which allows employers and workers to establish a normal business relationship under fixed-term or indefinite contracts.

Al Hameli said the new system will enhance the flexibility of the labour market and meet the needs of the employers from the existing labour market and thus reduce dependence on labour being imported from outside the country. Under the new part-time contract, workers will put less than the usual eight hours a day or less than 48 hours per week and must receive a weekly rest of not less than one day.

Al Hameli said the "part-time contract" will reduce the operational costs of employers who recruit workers from inside the UAE.

He added the system contributes to attracting and retaining the skills and expertise to enhance the productivity of the labour market in the country.The part-time contracts are limited only to specialised professions that require a high degree of scientific, technical and administrative skills and a minimum university qualification as well as  technical jobs that require mental, scientific and technical as well as practical and supervisory skills of workers who completed their two or three year diploma in any field, according to Al Hameli.

Al Hameli stressed that "the part-time contract is subject to the same rules and penalties applicable to the regular employment contracts, either fixed-term or non-fixed-term, out of keenness to protect the rights of the parties to the employment relationship."

The original employer shall bear the fees levied by the ministry when contracting with a worker under the part-time job contract.

The reduced fees for skilled labour shall be between  Dh150 and Dh2000 according to the category in which the establishment falls within the classification system of companies.

The original employer shall also bear the employee's annual leave, the end of service benefits and any other financial obligations in proportion to the number of actual working hours and the amount of the wage paid by the worker.

The decision obliges each employer to provide the worker with the requirements and working environment stipulated in the ministry's regulations.

According to the decision, the employer may not require the worker to work more than the hours agreed upon without the written consent of the worker. The employer may not prevent the worker from working in a similar facility to his company under the non-competition clause or for disclosure of the secrets of the work unless a court ruling has been issued to this effect.

The resolution states that a part-time contract may not be converted into a regular contract until after the end of the part-time employment contract, so that each party may freely contract with the model it accepts.

FTA Issued guideline for filing VAT return and payment

VAT in UAE

The FTA hasissued a comprehensive guide to completing the VAT return and making payment. It is definitely worth reading regardless of whether you are completing the return yourself or getting professional help. The guide makes it clear which transactions should be reported in each box and like everything in tax, the devil is in the detail.

The first boxes, which identify you and your business, are prepopulated with the information entered on registration. For each of the seven emirates, you then record your standard rated (5 percent) supplies and VAT on these supplies in boxes 1a to 1g. Box 2 is for VAT refunded to tourists so is irrelevant for most businesses as you have to be registered with the FTA to participate in the scheme.

In box 3 you need to include supplies of goods and services under the reverse charge mechanism. This can be complicated so reading the guide is a must. Imported goods can be declared in either box 3 or box 6 depending on your customs declarations. Imported services will be declared in box 3. Boxes 4 and 5 are for zero-rated and exempt supplies where there is no VAT to declare but you need to report the sales values

Reporting your input tax is shorter and simpler; there are just two lines here to populate. Box 9 is for standard-rated supplies that you want to reclaim the VAT on. Be careful to exclude any non-recoverable VAT but you still need to report the inputs even though you will not be reclaiming the tax. Obviously, any exempt or zero-rated inputs would not be included here as there is no VAT to recover. Box 10 is for the input VAT side of the reverse charge entries and is the other component to what is reported in boxes 3, 6 and 7.

The return automatically calculates the VAT payable and recoverable and the net of these is the amount payable to the FTA. Remember to reconcile your VAT accounting ledger entries to your VAT return and adjust your accounting entries accordingly. Ideally, you want to be in a position where your accounting entries mirror what’s been reported on your VAT return, so if you were ever subject to a VAT audit, which could be up to five years later, you could provide the underlying detailed transactions to support the return totals you reported without discrepancies.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department reduced Will Registration Charges for Non-Muslims

The ‘wills’ registration office in the capital where many non-Muslim residents register their wills, has reduced the registration charges from Dh5,500 to Dh950 from December.

Though the service charge was only Dh500 when the service started in August from November, the office revised the service fee and started charging Dh5,500 for a ‘will’ registration. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department [ADJD] reduced it to support the registry of wills.

In case of sudden death of the testator, the assets will be distributed by the court as per the will. The wills registration office for non-Muslims builds up the confidence among residents of legal protection of their assets in the UAE and it ensures them the liberty of selecting the appropriate method to write and register their will concerning the disposal of their estate after their death.

A spokesperson of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said: “Now the service fee is only Dh950 for registering a will.”

The spokesperson said: “Any person can bequeath his/her estate to males and females equally and in case of his/her death, the assets will be distributed by the court as stated in the testator’s will.”

Whereas the changing or revoking of will is concerned, the testator can revoke the will at any time, or otherwise replace it by a new one, the spokesperson said.

The office helps to legalise a will of a non-Muslim for the disposition of a deceased’s estates, nominating a guardian for his/her minor children, he said. From August last year, a special “Non-Muslims Wills Office” started operations at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to register inheritance wills for non-Muslim expatriates in the capital.

As people from many nationalities live in the UAE, they can now legally register their will here. It guarantees that their families and children can legally claim the assets in the UAE in case of testator’s death.” As per the will, beneficiaries can claim assets of the testator anywhere in the UAE, whether they register in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. It will be valid for all the UAE.

“More than 50 of my clients have registered their wills at the Abu Dhabi office but I can say that approximately, so far, more than 100 expatriates would have registered their wills at the Non-Muslims Wills Office in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

About the different services fees, he said, the Dubai Courts charges Dh2,165 for registering a will and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts takes Dh10,000.”

The office in Abu Dhabi was established after a decision issued in May by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who is also the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to create a registry of wills office and probate for non-Muslims.

The application is submitted online at [ADJD] website. The competent employee verifies if the application meets the requirements. A notification by SMS is sent to the applicant with the approval of the application or request for modification. The application fee is paid online through ADJD website.

The applicant can contact the Non-Muslim Wills Registration Office to schedule an appointment for the application processing. Then the applicant has to visit on the fixed date the Non-Muslim Wills Registration Office to submit the original documents. After completing these procedures, finally, the will is legalised and will be delivered by the Notary Public of the department.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Emirates ID.

• Passport (original and a copy).

• The document “Will” to be legalised, with a sufficient number of copies for all parties concerned and a copy of records.

• Documentation that provides clear proof of the bequeathed property ownership.

• An official translation attested by the Ministry of Justice is required where the document is drafted in a language other than the Arabic language.

• Venue: Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (Main Building)

• Timing: 8am to 2pm [Sunday to Thursday]

• Service Fee: Dh950