Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday his government will prioritise tackling Covid-19 and accelerating vaccinations ahead of an economic revival, as he defended his Cabinet choices before Parliament.
The conservative-dominated Parliament began debating the entirely male, largely conservative line-up in the morning, ahead of a vote of confidence on nominees expected later this week.
Unlike his predecessor Hassan Rouhani, Mr Raisi is closely aligned to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The government's first priority is controlling the coronavirus, improving the health situation and widespread vaccination,” Mr Raisi said.
“The economy and the livelihood situation is the second [priority]," he added, saying that his line-up is intended to bring about “justice and progress".
Some lawmakers during Saturday's session criticised the president for a failure thus far of his economic team to present policy plans, but Mr Raisi said a detailed strategy will be released "soon".
Since late June, Iran has seen what officials have called a “fifth wave” of Covid-19 infections, the country's worst yet, which they have largely blamed on the more contagious Delta variant of the virus.
Daily infections and deaths have hit record highs several times this month, raising total cases since the pandemic started to over 4.5 million and fatalities to more than 100,000.
Iran, battling the Middle East's deadliest Covid outbreak, launched a vaccination drive in February but it has progressed slower than authorities had hoped.
Choked by US sanctions that have made it difficult to transfer money abroad, Iran says it has struggled to import vaccines.
However, the country has received more than five million doses through the international Covax scheme that provides vaccines to poor countries. Around four million of those shots are made by the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca.
Iran is also producing its own Covid-19 vaccines.
Mr Raisi has lined up optometrist Bahram Eynollahi, 63, as his health minister.
He defended his pick as “a figure who can rally forces in the fight against coronavirus".
Mr Eynollahi was named by local media as a signatory to an open letter in January that warned Mr Rouhani, president at the time, against importing vaccines made by the US, Britain and France, as they may cause “unknown and irreversible complications".
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had in the same month banned the use of vaccines made by the US and Britain, calling them “completely untrustworthy".
More than 16.3 million people out of the country's 83 million inhabitants have been given a first vaccine dose, but only 5.4 million have received the second, the health ministry said on Friday.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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