Tax hike on dependents of immigrants hits NRIs
Saudi Returned expats of coastal region struggling to find jobs!
Mangaluru, July 17: Ever since Saudi Arabia has imposed huge tax on the dependents of immigrants, expats from coastal Karnataka are bearing the brunt of this new expatriate dependent fee that Saudi Arabia introduced in July, 2017.
The expatriate dependent fee has forced NRIs to send their families back home or in some cases they too have returned to their motherland. The returned NRIs are now struggling to find a viable job.
Muhammed Nawaz (name changed) has been working as a mechanical supervisor in Saudi Arabia since 20 years. He was living in a rented house in the Kingdom and had called his wife and children to stay with him. Few months ago he sent back his family back home. In the name of expatriate dependent fee which is linked to Iqama (residence license), for a family of wife and four children Muhammed Nawaz had to pay 500 Saudi riyals per month (approximately Rs. 9,146).
To overcome from country’s slumping revenue due to decline in global oil prices Saudi Arabia introduced expatriate dependent tax in 2017 and imposed tax on the dependents (wife, children and others) of Immigrants working in Saudi.
Sources reveal that since 2017 Saudi Arabia is imposing 100 Saudi riyals per person/month (Rs. 1800). The taxation system will continue till 2020 and will get doubled every year. That means a person has to pay 200 Saudi riyals per person/month in 2018, 300 riyals in 2019 and whopping 400 Saudi riyals in 2020.
Many families from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Bhatkal have found their livelihood in Gulf countries. But hiked fee has shattered the lives of these families. The Saudi government is not providing any facilities in return of this additional tax. There is no meaning in paying 1200 riyals to the government. Hence, I was forced to send my family back home, said Muhammed Nawaz.
According to one estimate, out of thousands of Kannadiga families living in Gulf countries at least 500 families have returned from Saudi Arabia alone. As these families are poor and fall under low income group, they are now struggling to rebuild their lives from the beginning. They are looking forward for support from Karnataka government like Kerala government that has lent a helping hand to Gulf returned families.
Government help is needed
I am working as a manager in a Hyper market in Saudi since 23 years. My wife and two children live with me. The government has introduced Iqama fee last year. This year this fee has got doubled. In addition, to ensure top most posts for locals Saudi is sending back expatriates. In the wake of this drive I decided to submit my resignation and returned to my mother land with family.
Like me hundreds of families have returned from Saudi. Some have sent their families back home. Now I am looking for a job here.
- Aboobaquer Khader Bail Muhammed, Surathkal, Kaana.
No relief for Government jobs!
After imposing hefty iqama fee on expatriates, Saudi has now targeting the expatriates serving In government departments.
Abdul Aziz Sheikh Muhammed, a resident of Mangaladevi in Mangaluru was working in Saudi Electricity Company since 25 years. He returned to his home land after he was removed from his job.
Basically, I am a civil engineer. Since last year Saudi is levying tax on dependents of expatriates. This year they are kicking out expatriates from jobs to ensure job to locals. They are removing government officials too. I and my family returned to home land two and half month ago. Last year I had paid 100 Saudi riyals per head as fee. But this year since I lost my job, it was impossible for me to pay the hiked fee and hence I returned home. Now I am searching for a job here, Sheikh Muhammed explained to Vartha Bharati.
12 persons working in various private companies have sent back their families (Four persons returned to India along with their family). As I suddenly lost my job, I faced problem in providing education to my children. Especially, I struggled a lot to admit my daughter to 10th std in CBSE school here, Sheikh Muhammed said.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
