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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai addressed over a million students in the UAE and congratulated them on the beginning of the academic year. The Cabinet also praised the ease the academic year started with. Moreover, the Cabinet commended the directives of the UAE President on unifying the education system in the UAE.

Presided by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Cabinet also approved a decision to determine the community service mechanisms in line with the UAE’s aims to develop its legislations to become at the forefront of the leading countries that use alternatives to imprisonment in case of small crimes, by forcing the convicted to do community service as reform means and benefit the society at the same time.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the implementing regulations of the tax procedures and the tax of selective goods, the methods of its percentages and the calculation of the selective price, in line with the goals of the economic treaty among the GCC member States that attempts to reach advanced stages of economic integration, in addition to issuing legislations and similar laws in both the economic and financial sectors.

In this context, The Implementing Regulation of the Federal Law number (7) of 2017 regarding the tax procedures was adopted. The regulation covers the tax procedures related to tax management, and collection by the Federal Tax Authority in order to regulate the mutual rights and obligations between the authority and its clients of tax payers, agents and legal representatives, and to regulate the common procedures that apply to all tax laws in the UAE.

The Cabinet also approved the implementing regulation of the Federal Law number (7) regarding the selective tax that will be applied starting October 2017. The implementing regulation identified the scope and period of the tax imposed and method of calculation, the exemptions, in addition to the frameworks, procedures and measures and provisions of tax registration and annulment. The regulation also clarifies the procedures and conditions of movement of selective goods, the frameworks of calculation of the due tax, as well as the deductible tax, the tax period and declaration, and the mechanisms of tax payment, with an integrated evaluation of penalties and cases of tax evasion.

The Cabinet issued also during this session a decision regarding the selective goods and tax percentages imposed in addition to the method of calculation used which sets the mechanisms and rulings of imposing the selective tax on some of the goods that are deemed harmful to the health of individuals and society in order to limit its consumption and minimize the negative impact of them while bringing in revenue streams for the government to be invested in developing public services.

The list of selective goods includes tobacco products, soft drinks, energy drinks, any goods that classify as harmful for the health. The decision specified the percentages of the imposed tax on these goods which include: 100% tax for tobacco, 50% for soft drinks, 100% for energy drinks and the other good for the same nature for a maximum of 100%.

The Cabinet also approved in the regulatory context, the restructure of the management board of the Securities and Commodities Authority headed by His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, with the membership of a number of experts and specialized professional, in order to achieve the strategic and operational goals of the authority.

In international affairs, the Cabinet endorsed the establishment of a UAE embassy in Georgia, in addition to signing two agreements with the government of Samoa and the government of Croatia regarding the air services between their respective regions and beyond. In the same context, the Cabinet approved to grant Indian nationals of regular passports with a residency visa issued from the United Kingdom and European Union States, an entry to the UAE from all entry points in line with the direction of the UAE to strengthen the international relations.

The UAE Cabinet held its meeting at the Presidential Palace and was‎ ‎attended by His Highness Lt. General ‎Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy ‎Prime Minister and Minister ‎of Interior, and His Highness ‎Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al ‎Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of ‎Presidential Affairs.