ABU DHABI // The Ministry of Interior has asked community members not to sympathise with beggars, ahead of Ramadan.
The ministry has started a nationwide campaign against begging, which is illegal. Occurrences tend to increase during the holy month, and police teams will intensify patrols nationwide.
Lt Gen Saif Al Sha’far, undersecretary at the ministry, called begging a scourge that reflects negatively on the country’s civilised image.
“Begging opens the door for some people to indulge in various forms of dupery and fraud to seek alms from people, and exploiting their tendency for charitable work during Ramadan,” he said.
He urged the community to donate money through appropriate channels.
Residents can report incidents of begging in their neighbourhoods by calling the police at 999 or the Aman service on 800 2626, or by SMS to 2828.
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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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Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
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