Monday 2 April 2012

Re: [www.keralites.net] വിദേശ തൊഴിലാളികളുടെമേല്‍ നികുതി: നിര്‍ദേശം വീണ്ടും ശൂറാ കൗണ്‍സിലിന്‍െറ പരിഗണനയില്‍

 

ARAB NEWS

By RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO

Published: Apr 2, 2012 01:15 Updated: Apr 2, 2012 01:15

The Shoura Council rejected a move to tax the incomes of individual expatriate workers in the public and private sectors at its 18th regular session yesterday.

The session was chaired by Council Vice President Dr. Mohammed bin Amin Jafri.

Secretary-General of the Shoura Council Dr. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi said the council made the decision after hearing the arguments for and against the proposal.

He added that since proponents of the move could not attain the requisite majority in the house to secure approval, it was rejected. He said the Kingdom is implementing a number of developmental projects in various sectors that need professional skills.

Supporters felt if approved, the proposal would have helped bridge the gap between the wages of Saudis and non-Saudis and increased the chances for locals to work in the private sector. Al-Ghamdi clarified the proposal had been submitted some time ago.

News that the debate on the issue had been revived had drawn criticism from the expatriate community, especially low-paid workers.

According to a local newspaper, the finance committee of the Shoura Council has recommended carrying out fresh studies on the possibility of imposing tax on all foreigners working in both the public and private sectors in the Kingdom.

The source said the new proposal was made by council member Muhammad Al-Quwaihes, who presented it as an additional recommendation attached to the annual report of the Department of Zakat and Income Tax that had already been discussed by the house.

"The government is neither levying a single riyal in tax or Zakat on foreign workers remittances, nor do they need to pay any kind of taxes," Al-Quwaihes said.

An expatriate, Sauda Salem, expressed dismay at the possibility foreign workers may have to pay income tax.

"It is a great shock for all expats who are not managers or making good money," he said.

As most foreigners are unable to meet their expenses, their wives try to support them by working small jobs, he added

"I request them to reconsider the plan of taxing expats only to support Saudization," he suggested.

Another expat, Mohammad Nazeer, claimed expatriates would be happy to contribute to the Saudi economy by paying income tax on their salaries and bonuses, adding they were very grateful for the generous tax-free salaries and benefits enjoyed in Saudi Arabia.

Another worker, Tanveer Ahmad, was willing to pay Zakat as long as the money went to the needy.

"As a Muslim, in order to make my earnings fully Halal, I should pay 2.5 percent of my earnings toward Zakat. I do pay it, but only in my native country where there are needy people. I have no objection to paying Zakat here if the government makes sure it goes to the needy," he said

According to Shoura member, Al-Quwaihes, levying an income tax on foreigners would boost the ongoing Saudization drive. "Foreigners working in the Kingdom transfer about SR100 billion to their countries of origin annually," he said.

Al-Quwaihes noted most countries in the world impose income taxes on individuals who work and earn money in those countries.

"It is high time we impose income tax on foreigners. It is also to be noted that foreign workers are beneficiaries of all government support and subsidies on utility services and products such as water, electricity, wheat, and petroleum products," he said.

Nearly a decade ago, the Shoura Council reviewed the possibility of imposing taxes on foreign workers but later the proposal was shelved.

There are 8 million foreigners in the Kingdom, an overwhelming majority of them in the private sector.

For another expatriate, Dr. Victoria Charlston, imposing taxes on foreigners would mean the job market would instantly lose many of its Western professionals.

"Financial reward is pretty much the only reason why Westerners decide to spend a stint of their working lives in KSA. There is little other reason or incentive. Let's hope that KSA will have enough of its own educated, highly trained manpower who will fill the gap if expatriates leave."

She said taxing non-Westerners earning low salaries for their hard labor was akin to daylight robbery.

"They have so few rights compared to their fellow countrymen who happen to live and work in other countries around the globe, and to tax them would be another nail in their coffin," she said.

"Should taxes be imposed on all foreigners, and this term in itself is laughable as many so-called foreigners are third and fourth generation citizens who would long ago have enjoyed equal rights to citizens should they have settled elsewhere in the world, then they should immediately and justly be afforded similar status to KSA nationals.

"Furthermore, to repeatedly discuss and question in newspaper columns these workers' rights to send their hard earned money to their relatives overseas is quite frankly a disgrace. Their money is simply the fruit of their labor, to dispose of as they wish.

"They have not been lazily sitting on their backsides waiting for money to be deposited in their bank accounts, as many of KSA's youngsters do. When one makes the decision to work in KSA, one immediately has to give up certain aspects of life that would be enjoyed in one's homeland. This sacrifice is offset by a rewarding salary."

Both Saudi and expatriate employees working in the Kingdom had to pay income tax until it was abolished in 1975. Later, there were moves to reintroduce income tax on foreigners in the late 80s. However, in 1988, King Fahd scrapped the plans.

At present, only Saudi citizens and Saudi companies need to pay Zakat of 2.5 percent annually on profits and on the assessable amount for individuals, in addition to a tax on foreign investors. In a bid to attract more foreign investment into the Kingdom, the government slashed in 2004 the tax rate imposed on foreign investors from 45 to 20 percent.



2012/4/2 <Jaleel@alrajhibank.com.sa>
 

ജിദ്ദ: വിദേശ തൊഴിലാളികളുടെമേല്നികുതി ഏര്പ്പെടുത്തണമെന്ന നേരത്തെയുള്ള നിര്ദേശം സൗദി ശൂറാ കൗണ്സില്ഇന്ന് വീണ്ടും പരിഗണിക്കുമെന്ന് റിപ്പോര്ട്ട്. പൊതു-സ്വകാര്യ മേഖലകളില് പ്രവര്ത്തിക്കുന്ന തൊഴിലാളികളുമേല്നികുതി ചുമത്തണമെന്ന ശിപാര്ശ ശൂറാ കൗണ്സിലിന്െറ ധനകാര്യ സമിതി വീണ്ടും പഠന വിധേയമാക്കുമെന്ന് പ്രാദേശിക അറബ് പത്രമാണ് റിപ്പോര്ട്ട് ചെയ്തത്.
ആദായനികുതി, സക്കാത്ത് എന്നിവയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട വാര്ഷിക റിപ്പോര്ട്ടില്ശൂറാ കൗണ്സില്അംഗം മുഹമ്മദ് അല് ഖുവൈഹ് ആണ് ഇത്തരമൊരു നിര്ദേശം മുന്നോട്ട്വെച്ചത്. വിദേശികളുടെ മേല് നികുതി ഏര്പ്പെടുത്തുന്നത് ഇതിനോടകം ത്വരിതഗതിയിലായ സൗദിവത്കരണ പദ്ധതിക്ക് സഹായകമാവുമെന്നാണ് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്െറ വാദം. പ്രതിവര്ഷം വിദേശതൊളിലാളികള്‍ 15,000കോടി റിയാല് അവരുടെ രാജ്യങ്ങളിലേക്ക് അയക്കുന്നുണ്ട് എന്നും അദ്ദേഹം ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടി. സൗദി സര്ക്കാര്ഈ വരുമാനത്തില്നിന്ന് ഒരു റിയാല് പോലും നികുതിയായോ സക്കാത്തായോ പിടിക്കുന്നില്ല. അതേസമയം, ലോകത്ത് ഏതാണ്ട് എല്ലാ രാജ്യങ്ങളും വ്യക്തികളില്നിന്ന് ആദായനികുതി ഈടാക്കുന്നുണ്ടെന്നും അദ്ദേഹം വാദിക്കുന്നു.
വെള്ളം, വൈദ്യുതി, ഗോതമ്പ്, പെട്രോളിയം ഉല്പന്നങ്ങള് എന്നിവര് സര്ക്കാര് നല്കുന്ന എല്ലാ സബ്സിഡികളുടെയും ആനുകുല്യങ്ങളുടെയും ഗുണഭോക്താക്കളില്വിദേശ തൊഴിലാളികളുമുണ്ടെന്നതും അവര്ക്ക് നികുതി ഏര്പ്പെടുത്തുന്നത് നീതീകരിക്കുന്നുണ്ടെന്നും ശൂറാ അംഗം ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടി.
1975വരെ സൗദിയിലുള്ള വിദേശികളും ആദായനികുതി നല്കാന് ബാധ്യസ്ഥായിരുന്നു. പിന്നീട് അത് തിരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടുവരാന്എണ്പതുകളുടെ അവസാനം ചില നീക്കങ്ങളുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. 88ല്ഫഹദ് രാജാവാണ് അത്തരമൊരു നീക്കം വേണ്ടെന്ന് വെച്ചത്. 2003ലും അത്തരമൊരു നിര്ദേശം ശൂറ കൗണ്സില് തള്ളുകയാണുണ്ടായത്. 3000റിയാലിന് മുകളില് ശമ്പളം പറ്റുന്നവര്നികുതി നല്കാന് ബാധ്യസ്ഥരാവുമെന്നായിരുന്നു അന്നത്തെ നിര്ദേശം.
നിലവില് സൗദി പൗരന്മാരും  കമ്പനികളും രണ്ടര ശതമാനം സക്കാത്ത് കൊടുക്കാന് ബാധ്യസ്ഥരാണ്. വിദേശ നിക്ഷേപകര്‍20ശതമാനം ടാക്സ് നല്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. മുമ്പ് ഇത് 45ശതമാനമായിരുന്നു. വിദേശ നിക്ഷേപകരെ പ്രോല്സാഹിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിന് പിന്നീടത് 20ശതമാനമായി വെട്ടിക്കുറക്കുകയായിരുന്നു.


www.keralites.net


__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
KERALITES - A moderated eGroup exclusively for Keralites...
To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.

To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Homepage: www.keralites.net
.

__,_._,___

No comments:

Post a Comment