Some shops say they are willing to absorb small extra charges in the interests of avoiding unnecessary stress for customers. Silvia Razgova / The National
Some shops say they are willing to absorb small extra charges in the interests of avoiding unnecessary stress for customers. Silvia Razgova / The National
Some shops say they are willing to absorb small extra charges in the interests of avoiding unnecessary stress for customers. Silvia Razgova / The National
Some shops say they are willing to absorb small extra charges in the interests of avoiding unnecessary stress for customers. Silvia Razgova / The National

VAT in UAE: Shopkeepers hold out for small change


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  • Arabic

Shopkeepers say they are willing to absorb small extra charges caused by VAT in the interests of keeping customers happy.

Despite assurances from the UAE Central Bank’s that coins of various denominations are in circulation, managers say they do not hold or have not recently been issued with anything lower than 25 fils coins.

“It is a problem with us,” said Dr Inas Mesbah, who runs a pharmacy in Al Nahyan.

“If it is 14 fils, we take 25. Most customers accept it. Sometimes a customer will ask why, but what can we do?”

At a supermarket on Reem Island, manager Wadih Ghrayed said coins are usually delivered once or twice a week but that the store was short of one, five and 10 fils coins, as the supply had not yet been replenished this week.

“It’s according to the bank, if they can provide them,” said Mr Ghrayed. “If we have them, we will give them. If not, we will say sorry to the customer, and we will round up to 25 fils.”

While most customers are understanding when small change isn’t available, some are rightly irritated, he said.

“I heard some complaints and, in the end, it is the right of the customer to take his five, 10 fils, or whatever,” said Mr Ghrayed.

“But then, it’s not from our side, because the banks are not providing change.”

The Department of Economic Development previously announced that VAT affected prices that now add up to small amounts of change could in Abu Dhabi be rounded up by 25 fils for simplification, but it overturned its announcement on Saturday.

The recent change in policy was in response to complaints filed by consumers who claimed that they were being grossly overcharged.

Khalifa Al Mansouri, the undersecretary of the economic development department, said it was keen “to prevent any violations in this matter or the exploitation of the implementation of the value added tax or compromising the consumers’ rights by raising the prices or taking advantage of the collection of illegal amounts of any value whatsoever”.

An inspection team sent by the department will continue to visit shops across the emirate to “ensure that the tax collection mechanism is properly implemented”.

Any shop that fails to issue the correct change will be fined, the department said.

“The department will issue tickets against any shops that refrain from giving the consumer the remaining fils as a result of collecting the tax, and the consumer has a right to receive the remaining amounts after paying the value of the service or commodity of any kind,” the department said.

All shop employees who spoke to The National on Sunday said they had not received any official communications outlining the development department's new decision on fils.

The retailers said that since they didn’t carry any one, five or 10 fils coins, they would have to round up to 25 fils, as they had been doing anyway.

At one Baqala, items costing one, two, three or four dirhams were not officially taxed, according to the cashier, because consumers usually didn’t carry the extra 5, 10, 15 or 20 fils needed to pay the difference and the owner didn’t want to make them round up.

The same was true at a small, independent grocery store in Al Nahyan.

A cashier there said water bottles technically cost Dh1.05 with VAT, but customers would only have to pay the pre-VAT price of Dh1 to avoid problems with coins.

For many shoppers, the issue of coins can be easily resolved with a credit or debit card.

“Normally, when I shop I pay by card because sometimes it’s difficult to get the change because they cannot produce the exact amount,” said Vaqar Jadoon.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Brief scores:

Liverpool 3

Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'

Manchester United 1

Lingard 33'

Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22

One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart

The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register. 

4) The campaign uses the hashtag  #donate_hope

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

The Lowdown

Us

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss

Rating: 4/5

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImelda%20Staunton%2C%20Jonathan%20Pryce%2C%20Lesley%20Manville%2C%20Jonny%20Lee%20Miller%2C%20Dominic%20West%2C%20Elizabeth%20Debicki%2C%20Salim%20Daw%20and%20Khalid%20Abdalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWritten%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeter%20Morgan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%20stars%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio

Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home

Meydan card

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

((Disclaimer))

The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.

RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).

5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.

7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
​​​​​​​Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.

MATCH INFO

Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)

Delhi won the match by 11 runs

Tales of Yusuf Tadros

Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)

Hoopoe

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
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  • Mental well-being assistance
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km