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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ISRO's analogue space mission kicks off at Leh
Bengaluru, Nov 1: ISRO on Friday said its analogue space mission has taken off at Leh in Ladakh, where it will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat as India prepares to send a human to the moon.
The initiative is a collaborative effort of the Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
The month-long mission, kicked off mid-October, comes in the wake of India's plans to set up lunar habitats, which could provide a base to launch inter-planetary missions.
The geographical features of Ladakh are considered to closely resemble Martian and lunar landscapes and are an ideal training ground for scientific missions aimed at exploring planets "India's first analog space mission kicks off in Leh...this mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth," ISRO said in a post on X.
The team of AAKA Space Studio is testing environment suits and conducting geological studies in Leh's low-oxygen environment, simulating space-like conditions, studies that could be crucial for future space missions.
The team is also studying how the human body adapts to the harsh weather conditions in Ladakh that could be useful in understanding how astronauts could get used to space like conditions.
🚀 India’s first analog space mission kicks off in Leh! 🇮🇳✨ A collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, this mission will simulate life in an… pic.twitter.com/LoDTHzWNq8
— ISRO (@isro) November 1, 2024
