The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with City University Ajman to enhance collaboration, strengthen their strategic partnership, and exchange expertise to drive development in the local community.

The MoU also aims to provide services that promote growth in local, federal, and private institutions, spread tax awareness in the community through academic and training channels, and offer incentives and facilities to encourage the pursuit of tax-related education and training.

The agreement was signed by Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of the Federal Tax Authority, and Imran Khan, President of City University Ajman, at the FTA headquarters in Dubai.

The MoU aims to intensify collaboration to organise specialised training courses in the areas of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Corporate Tax, in addition to integrating tax-related content into specialised academic curricula in accounting, law, and other relevant disciplines. This includes curriculum development for bachelor’s and postgraduate programmes to include tax content.

The objectives of the agreement also include fostering collaboration in research, studies, and surveys, as well as cooperation to provide scholarships and discounts for bachelor’s and master’s programmes and professional courses.

“The memorandum of understanding that the Federal Tax Authority has signed with City University Ajman provides an effective framework for cooperation to promote tax culture and encourage lifelong learning in this promising field,” Al Bustani said. “This aligns with the Authority’s plans to establish a tax environment that encourages compliance and adheres to the highest standards of governance and transparency, through continuous awareness campaigns that reach out to all segments of the community, and familiarise them with tax legislation and procedures.”

“This agreement is a step forward that opens up new horizons for cooperation between our two institutions towards enhancing professional skills among those working in the tax field and related sectors,” the FTA Director-General added. “It sets the stage for developing specialised tax-related academic and training content, building on the Authority’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnerships with government and private-sector entities, as well as academic institutions, given their essential role in the successful implementation of the tax system. This, in turn, serves to support the UAE’s vision to increase reliance on the knowledge economy and employ effective tools to assess talent, develop it, and accelerate career advancement.”

For his part, Imran Khan stated: “This collaboration is an important step forward towards enhancing transparency, promoting a contributory approach, providing an environment that encourages tax compliance, and spreading a tax culture on a large scale among university students. This is achieved through training courses that Ajman City University organises jointly with the Federal Tax Authority, in addition to tax-related academic content integrated into the university’s curriculum, and programmes designed to provide our students with practical and intellectual skills that will benefit them in their future professional lives.”