Federal Tax Authority launches three initiatives for UAE Innovates 2024

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) is launching three key initiatives and organising a series of events as part of its activities to participate in the UAE Innovates 2024 month-long initiative, taking place throughout the upcoming month of February.

UAE Innovates is designed to enhance the country’s position as a global innovation hub, foster the development of ideas and skills, create a widespread culture of innovation, celebrate innovators, and support the National Strategy for Advanced Innovation.

The three initiatives include the Innovation Challenge award for the FTA team; the Hackathon programme, which aims to strengthen the Authority’s partnership with the community; and the initiative to expand participation in the ‘TAX 10’ digital innovation platform for FTA employees by making it available to various categories in the UAE and abroad.

His Excellency Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the FTA, said: “The Federal Tax Authority is keen to participate in the annual UAE Innovates month-long initiative as part of its innovation strategy, which aims to achieve global leadership in tax procedures, while continuously upgrading the services that the Authority provides to taxpayers, and creating an institutional environment that encourages innovative ideas.”

“The new initiatives and events the Authority is implementing this year are designed to engage stakeholders and encourage them to come forward with proposals for innovative solutions to address various challenges, drive continuous development of tax procedures, and adopt innovative methods to drive sustainable financial diversification, in line with the rapid digital transformation the UAE is spearheading across all sectors,” H.E. added.

The Federal Tax Authority highlighted the initiatives to be launched for UAE Innovates this February, indicating that the Innovation Challenge award aims to develop practical solutions focused on the future by offering employees an opportunity to showcase their innovative skills and ideas. This, in turn, facilitates tangible improvements in the Authority’s operational and strategic processes by periodically evaluating employees’ proposals and honouring the winners.

Meanwhile, the Hackathon programme aims to develop innovative technological solutions for current challenges in collaboration with the government and education sectors, bringing talented developers, programmers, and designers together in cohesive teams to generate innovative solutions that streamline and enhance tax procedures. Challenges included in the programme will be announced through the FTA’s official platforms, where all parties involved will be invited to dedicated sessions where they can present their ideas for evaluation, following which the best innovative tech solutions will be announced as winners.

The third main initiative involves expanding participation in the ‘TAX 10’ digital innovation platform for FTA employees, allowing 100 members of the UAE community to apply for permits to use the platform. Permits will also be offered to representatives from universities, government entities, and representatives from tax authorities across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.