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Covid-19 essentials including hand sanitizers, disposable medical suits, and goggles are now exempt from the UAE's 5% tax
2 September 2020
| Last updated on 2 September 2020
The move will help UAE hospitals stock up on vital medical supplies during the pandemic
On Tuesday, the UAE Cabinet announced that medical essentials against Covid-19 will be exempt from an additional VAT charge.
The list of essentials include daily used by the community to protect themselves from the virus, as well as medical equipment used by health workers while treating Covid-19 patients.
The usual 5 per cent tax for goods and services in the country will not be applied for the following items:
- Protective face masks
- Hand gloves
- Hand sanitizers
- Goggles
- Disposable medical suits
- Respirators
The meeting was chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.
According to the UAE Cabinet, the decision aims to support the country's health sector during the ongoing health crisis by helping hospitals and clinics stock up on important medical supplies.
In the official tweet, HH Sheikh Mohammed said: "In the health framework, we adopted a decision today to exempt some medical equipment related to combating Covid-19 from tax."
"We have also adopted an integrated regulatory and legislative framework on medical assistance for childbearing. Our medical sector is developing and keeping pace with our development process to be among the best," he added.
The UAE Government reported 574 new Covid-19 cases, 560 recoveries, and zero deaths. The total number of confirmed cases are now 70,805.
"We urge the public to ensure their households are properly ventilated. Bad ventilation can cause the spread of the virus inside houses and closed places," said Dr. Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesman on the developments of the virus.
"As the new academic year starts, parents are urged to monitor symptoms of illness on their children, regularly check temperature, and make sure they eat healthy food. We remind parents to make sure their children take their scheduled vaccines," he continued.
