New rules for Zakat, tax collection OK’d

The Council of Ministers on Monday approved new regulations to enable the General Authority of Zakat and Tax to carry out its main task of collecting Zakat and taxes in proper manner.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh.

Adel Al-Turaifi, minister of culture and information, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session that the regulations allow the authority to establish companies in this respect, besides providing the best services to Zakat and tax payers.

There would be a Shariah panel, comprising of not less than five experts, under the authority to help it in carrying out its responsibilities in a prompt way. The Cabinet also endorsed another regulation to register all deeds owned by the state as state properties.

The Cabinet approved amendments in Article 32 of the bylaw for diplomatic jobs to increase the minimum experience for promotion of an attaché to third secretary from two years to three years.

The Cabinet made the amendment after examining a report presented by the minister of finance with regard to appointing diplomatic officials who are holders of bachelor degrees as attachés.

Another amendment in Article 14 of the bylaw was approved to the effect that those appointed on probation for two years can join a training program. It is not permissible to transfer them or entrust them with another job during that period.

The Cabinet reviewed the efforts and coordination between the Kingdom and Malaysia in completing the necessary procedures to establish King Salman Center for Global Peace in Kuala Lumpur in the near future. An announcement to this effect was made during the recent visit of King Salman to Malaysia.

Al-Turaifi said the Cabinet congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people on the occasion of the successful conduct of the referendum.

The Cabinet denounced the suicide bombing targeting Syrian refugees in the towns of Al-Foa and Kafriya in the Idlib governorate that claimed the lives of scores of innocent civilians and injury of many others, describing the attacks as heinous terrorist crime in violation of all humanitarian and moral values.