The Assistant Undersecretary of Development and Policy of Public Revenues, Rana Faqihi, today signed a contract with the international payment specialists Planet Payment, at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy. The contract has been signed to begin work on the tourist refund scheme for VAT paid by tourists during their stay in the Kingdom.

Planet Payment has been chosen to oversee Bahrain’s VAT tourist refund scheme based on their knowledge and expertise in the field of international payment solutions. Planet has been operating for 30 years in 58 different countries regionally and worldwide, and currently operate the UAE’s VAT tourist refund scheme.

Faqihi noted that the collaboration with Planet Payment is in line with the National Bureau for Revenue’s efforts in ensuring the correct implementation of VAT, and that the new refund system will be established and ready during this year.

Upon completion of the payment infrastructure, tourists visiting Bahrain will be able to claim refunds on a percentage of VAT paid on purchases during their visit to the Kingdom. Reimbursements will be made through a fully integrated digital system that connects registered companies in the scheme to the points of exit at Bahrain International Airport.

VAT reimbursements are a common practice introduced to increase visitor expenditure and boost the inflow of tourists as a stimulant for businesses’ competitiveness and overall economic growth.