SMEs to get refunds on these 8 government fees

Saudi Arabia’s ministerial committee in charge of implementing the private sector stimulus package has issued the internal regulations of paying the SAR 7 billion allocated to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as refunds on government fees until 2021.

Under the regulations, eligible SMEs will be paid back the following fees:

- Publishing the articles of corporation

- Issuing and renewal of commercial registration

- Subscription and renewal of chamber’s membership

- Municipal licenses

- Issuance and renewal of economic activity permits

- Saudi post membership (Wasel)

- One trade mark registration

- 80% of expatriate worker fees without any dependencies (Maximum of 20 workers for retail and construction sectors)

Eligibility includes being a micro, small or medium enterprise, fully Saudi owned, not older than three years and met the Saudi labor ministry’s Saudization rates.  

According to data compiled by Argaam, King Salman in December 2017 issued a royal decree on allocating SAR 72 billion in stimulus package to boost the private sector growth, including SAR 7 billion to refund government fees paid by new SMEs.

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority’s (Monsha’at) initiative, in cooperation with the Local Content and Private Sector Development Unit (Namaa), started in September to deposit the refunds into the accounts of the eligible SMEs.