ABU DHABI // A decision to raise the legal preschool admission age in public and private schools from 3 to 4 will not take effect until the 2014-2015 school year, it was reported on Sunday.
The implementation of the decision has been postponed by the Ministry of Education to give the school community time to adapt to the new measure, Fouzia Ghareeb, the ministry's assistant undersecretary for educational operations told The National's Arabic-language sister paper, Al Ittihad.
The postponement is in the best interest of all stakeholders, Ms Ghareeb said, noting that the decision is meant to fix a discrepancy between government and private schools, which respectively accept children into preschool at the age of 3 years and six months and 3 years only. She said the ministry wanted the application of the decision to be "seamless".
When the decision comes into effect, schools will not be allowed to accept children any younger than those who turn 4 by the month of December in that school year.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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- Grade 9 = above an A*
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- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
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