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Revamped Dubai fees a ‘token of gratitude’

Dubai - Move part of series of initiatives to boost economic growth

Dubai’s new waivers and reduction in fees of 88 services provided by government entities is part of a series of initiatives undertaken to boost economic growth in the emirate and it certainly brought cheer to the business community.

The waivers and reductions relate to fees for services provided by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Courts, Dubai Economy and the Dubai Health Authority.

The DMCA waive some fees related to various types of residency visas. Fees will also be reduced on issuance and renewal of annual representative office licenses and replacement of lost certificates and licences, among others.

Leroy Dias, managing director of SteelCorr, said: “The waivers and reduction in fees decree will be welcomed with open arms by the maritime community. It is a sound testimonial to the leadership’s vision of retaining Dubai’s position as a leading global maritime hub. The maritime industry has had its share of challenges with regards to its ship crew changes and onboard personnel vaccinations. So, easing some of the financial burdens is a good token of gratitude to the industry that has continued to move 90 per cent of the world’s goods even during the pandemic.”

The DLD, meanwhile, will waive fees related to replacement of broker cards for real estate agents, and amendment of information on real estate brokers, among others.

Farooq Syed, CEO of Springfield Properties, said: “I believe removing the fees for replacement of broker cards will be a huge relief for companies like ours that have close over 80 brokers as these fees amount to huge amounts. It will definitely make the business more attractive and reduce the pressure on business owners.”

Fees that will be waived by Dubai Tourism include those for tourism permits and replacement of lost tourism permits, tourism permits for people under 16 years, and permits for fashion shows, among others.

Hemali Shah, managing director of City One Tourism and Travel, said: “We welcome this move; the tourism permits are for people who have faced major setback of this interesting times. This move will help boost the events and hotel industry, and it will attract more people to come to the country and helping tourism.”

Dubai Economy will reduce fees related to issuing and renewing licences of business centres and issuance of licenses for providing government services, among others.

Kamal Vachani, group director and partner at Al Maya Group, said: “Dubai’s attractiveness as a business and investment hub is evident with business-friendly policies it has introduced, giving a confidence-booster to businesses. The waivers and reduction in fees is a positive move which would provide a great relief, spurring economic growth in key sectors.”

“This is a great decision... [that] will pave the way for greater ease of doing business and further enhance Dubai’s position as a preferred destination for business. As a company with strong presence in Dubai for the last 15 years, we stand to benefit from this decision as it will ensure more seamless deployment of modern digital networks. Also, our plans to expand our portfolio and market share will get great push with the increased flexibility that comes with this decision,” added Ankit Agarwal, CEO of connectivity solutions business at Sterlite Technologies.

— sandhya@khaleejtimes.com