The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has launched several initiatives as part of ‘UAE Innovates 2022’, which is taking place across the UAE throughout the month of February.

The ‘UAE Innovates 2022’ initiative aims to promote a culture of government innovation by engaging the community in ambitious projects to design future experiences and develop initiatives that support the government’s plans to forecast and shape a better future, in collaboration with individuals and entities.

His Excellency Khalid Al Bustani, Director-General of the Federal Tax Authority, asserted the Authority’s commitment to participating in the annual activities of the ‘UAE Innovates’ initiative. Through its participation, FTA encourages innovation and engages the public in the digital transformation process and the National Innovation Strategy, which aims to position the UAE among the most innovative countries around the world.

“The directives of our wise leadership have allowed us to forecast the future and set effective strategies and initiatives to develop government systems and enhance quality of life in a sustainable environment,” H.E. added. “The UAE has successfully laid the foundations for an advanced digital infrastructure, embracing the most cutting-edge technology available worldwide. To drive digital transformation, we must prioritise innovation and excellence and accelerate the pace of innovation and digitalisation to meet the requirements of systems integration.”

His Excellency Khalid Al Bustani added: “By participating in national events, the Authority aims to promote innovation across its operating systems and encourage its team to innovate. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on the quality of services and will ultimately enhance customer happiness. The Authority is committed to upgrading its services by establishing an advanced digital infrastructure, an integrated electronic services system, and adopting advanced technologies. We are keen on strengthening the FTA’s strategic partnerships with the government and private sectors, in line with the UAE’s principles for the next 50 years.”

The Federal Tax Authority is participating in the UAE Innovates Exhibition at the Festival Garden in Expo 2020 Dubai as part of UAE Innovation Month (UAE Innovates 2022), where the FTA team will introduce visitors to the FTA’s innovative digital systems, including the electronic system for the VAT Refund Scheme for Tourists, which allows tourists to process VAT refund requests easily and in record time. The system reflects the UAE’s ongoing efforts to support the tourism sector and position itself as an ideal tourist destination.

The Authority explained that the VAT Refund Scheme for Tourists had played a critical role in supporting visitors of Expo 2020 Dubai. The fully integrated electronic system allows for creating a direct link between 13 air, land, and maritime entry and exit ports across the UAE, on one hand, and more than 13,800 stores registered with the FTA, on the other. The retailers help verify the eligibility of tourists for the refund scheme.

Tourists can submit their requests to recover the taxes they incurred on purchases in the UAE through ‘Self-Service Kiosks’ equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The Kiosks allow them to fully process VAT refund requests in under two minutes.

The FTA’s agenda for ‘UAE Innovates 2022’ saw the Authority’s Chief Innovation Officer Ahmed Al Hemairi take part in a panel discussion titled ‘The Innovation Journey in the Government Sector’, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation. With several Chief Innovation Officers in attendance, Al Hemairi’s presentation highlighted the journey that innovation has gone through in the government sector, and the radical transformation it brought along.

The FTA’s initiatives included a series of comprehensive online talks, comprised of virtual dialogue sessions in cooperation with several national Authorities to promote a culture of innovation. The extensive discussions covered numerous topics, including ‘Innovation in Tax Management’, the most notable achievements in the tax sector, ‘Academic and Practical Innovation Experiences’, ‘Innovation and Future Foresight’, ‘Innovation Applications and Experiences’, and ‘The Innovation DNA’ (skills of innovators within the government sector).