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Expats hide marital status to bend Indian passport rules
Expats hide marital status to bend Indian passport rules Sajila Saseendran / 2 June 2013 Short validity passport for Indians without marriage proof An applicant gets photographed at an Indian Passport and Visa Centre in Dubai. Indian expats are blaming their missions for not making people aware of the marriage certificate rules. — KT file photo for illustrative purpose Some married Indian expatriates are denying their marriage to keep their passports valid for more years, risking penal actions as per the Indian Passports Act, Khaleej Times has learnt. According to sources, this trend began after the Indian missions in the UAE started issuing short validity passports to applicants who did not have proper documentary proof of their marriage when they applied to renew their passports here. Applicants wait at a centre for visa renewal. — KT file photo Caught unawares Some Indian expatriates, who had to settle for short validity passports due to a rule related to proving their marriage while renewing their passports, are blaming the Indian missions here for not making people aware of the rule causing them to pay extra money. Citizens have called for clarity and better awareness of the rule that stipulates that married Indians should provide prescribed documents to prove their marriage while applying for reissue of passports. Samudar Singh from Rajasthan, who has been in Dubai for 18 years, said he had got his last passport reissued for 10 years from the Indian Consulate here. However, this time when he approached the mission through BLS International, the outsourcing agency for Indian passport and visa services, he was told that he could get his passport renewed only for two years. That was because his wife’s name was not endorsed in his passport and he did not have an attested marriage certificate to prove his marital status. “There was no such rule when I renewed my passport last time from here. I don’t know why they have brought in this rule now. I’m not an educated person, and I didn’t know any such rule. I wanted to renew my passport from India when I went on leave a couple of months back, but the officials over there said it will take almost two months since it needs clearance from Dubai.” Singh, who is in his 50s, said he had no formal certificate to prove his marriage. “There was no marriage registration in our place those days. We got married at our home. I don’t know how to make a marriage certificate now, let alone get it attested.” He said he was advised by Dubai officials to get his wife’s name added in his new passport with two-year validity when he goes home next time. “I don’t know when I can go on leave again and what I need to do for that.” Shanawaz Ahmed, 40, from Jharkand, who works as an electrician, said he had tried to renew his passport last year. “Then they issued me a passport with only one year validity because my new UAE residence visa had not been stamped after I changed job. At the time of visa stamping, the passport was not valid for more than six months, because of which I had to renew the passport.” However, he said he was not told about the need to produce an attested marriage certificate at that time. “This they told me only this time when I again went for a renewal as the one year validity was over. Had they told me about it last year, I would have tried to (get) it ready by this renewal.” Applicants said they are asked to attach an undertaking assuring the submission of attested marriage certificate, for typing which BLS is charging them Dh30 extra. They also pointed out that many, who would be issued a passport with a validity of two years, would be forced to apply for the next renewal of their passport earlier than expected since their UAE residence visa renewal will require passports to be valid for more than six months. While a full validity Indian passport is issued for 10 years, married Indian expatriates can now get passports renewed only for two years if the name of their spouse is not endorsed in the passport or if their marriage certificate is not attested by various authorities, such as the state Home Department where the marriage took place. Many Indians, mainly labourers, are in a fix due to a lack of knowledge about the rule that is now being strictly implemented, which is, according to some officials, partly intended to avoid marital litigations. Sources told Khaleej Times that some applicants were hiding their marital status when they were told about this rule. “When we tell them about this issue, uneducated labourers are upset and they express their difficulty in getting the procedures done,” said a source at BLS International, the outsourcing agency for Indian passport and visa services. “But, some smart men, mostly well-educated, quietly change their marital status in the application form so that they can get the full validity passport for 10 years. That is against the law,” he said on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media. According to the source, applicants face this issue mainly due to a lack of awareness about the importance of having their marriage certificates attested by the right authorities. “If this rule is well-known, people can get their marriage certificate attested well in advance and come with the proper documents when it is time for renewing their passport,” he said. As per the passport application form instruction booklet, an affidavit has to be sworn before a First Class Judicial Magistrate or Executive Magistrate for re-issue of a passport obtained prior to marriage, by married applicants who are unable to provide the prescribed marriage certificate or joint affidavit with their spouse due to marital discord, separation or total desertion by the spouse. The booklet states it is an offence punishable with imprisonment or fine or both, to furnish false information or suppress information, under relevant provisions of Section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967. Asked about the rule, the Indian Consulate in Dubai said in a statement to Khaleej Times: “It is mandatory to endorse the spouse’s name in one’s passport after marriage. The marriage certificate is required to be attested from the state Home Department.” “We are issuing a two-year validity passport to applicants who are married, but don’t have the attested certificate. When they submit the marriage certificate duly attested by the state Home Department, we issue a full validity passport. If the spouse’s name is already endorsed in the applicants’ spouse’s passport, we are endorsing the husband’s/wife’s name on the basis of the production of a marriage certificate even without attestation by the state Home Department concerned,” the mission added. According to official sources, missions are being lenient in issuing the short validity passport for the applicants since the expatriates’ lives depend on their passport validity. “This option is intended to help the expatriate Indians who require valid passports and visas to live here. One of the intentions for mandatory endorsement of (a) spouse’s details in the passport is to prevent cheating and marital litigations. There have been cases where some Non-Resident Indians had hidden their married status at their countries of residence and got married again there,” said one official. Indian Ambassador M.K. Lokesh acknowledged there should be more clarity and awareness about the rule. “Since ( Khaleej Times has) raised the issue, I have taken it up with the Ministry (of External Affairs). I have asked them to clarify the rule. We are also checking with other embassies in the region on how they are handling this.” He said a reply from the ministry was expected this week. – sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Economy to benefit as Enoc and Eppco cut diesel prices
Economy to benefit as Enoc and Eppco cut diesel prices Amanda Fisher / 2 June 2013 Dubai’s transport sector is in line for a boon with expectations savings could be passed on to consumers, after the emirate’s petrol stations announced a 20 fil reduction per litre of diesel — though costs in other parts of the country remain much lower. Emirates National Oil Company announced the price of diesel at its more than 100 Enoc and Eppco petrol stations would drop from Dh3.7 a litre to Dh3.5, effective from Saturday. An Al Khail Road pump showing the revised price. KT photo by Rahul Gajjar The prices of both petrol and diesel in the country are heavily subsidised, with diesel in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Adnoc petrol stations retailing for Dh2.35 a litre. Prices were at a record Dh4.56 per litre in 2008, during a volatile period when diesel prices fluctuated heavily. However, the price has been climbing steadily with little respite ever since, with transport companies such as Dubai-based Euro Movers International feeling the pinch, according to director Khurram Abdulla. “The last five years the fuel costs have been going up, so any reduction is obviously very welcome, so it will have a positive impact on our bottom line.” Abdulla said his company spent about half-a-million dirhams each year on fuel for their local and international transport companies, which relied on seven vans and trucks using diesel. “I think this is the first time it’s actualy coming down. Normally we’re used to it just going up.” He said he was optimistic the price reduction would remain in place for some time, in which case the company could look to pass on savings to customers. “It’s very competitive (in) our industry and Dubai in general is very competitive, so whatever we can do to make ourselves more competitive (we will). We’ll definitely pass that on…We’ll wait for a month to see how much we can pass on…we might be able at the end of the month to see a reduction of five per cent,” Abdulla said after doing a few calculations based on the new lowered price. While fuel costs only amounted to about 10 per cent of the company’s overall costs, Abdulla said the company would hope to see secondary savings in their international arm, if shipping companies they contracted also passed the savings from the lowered international price of diesel. Enoc retail managing director Burhan Al Hashemi said Enoc had revised the price of diesel in line with the international price trends for crude and refined products. “The recent decline in international prices has provided us an ideal window of opportunity to pass on the price benefits to diesel users. The price decrease will have a positive impact on the overall economy, given the vital role that diesel plays in the logistics sector,” he said in a statement. Al Hashemi said the price revision should benefit the manufacturing sector and other supply companies with large fleets that use diesel. However, economic advisers Nasser Saidi and Associates founder Nasser Saidi said the price reduction would have just a minor impact. “Diesel, of course, is important for transport so to that extent it will lower the cost…and it will effectively mean at a consumer level, although to a very marginal level, (product prices) will decline.” However, that needed to be put “in perspective”. “Transport costs are important but not the main determinate of consumer prices…at best this will have a marginal effect. Clearly the people who use diesel in the cars will see the effect but that’s a minority of people.” Saidi also warned the reduction would be temporary as international prices would rise again. He attributed the fall in global prices to seasonal patterns, with the diesel used for heating major northern hemisphere markets of the United States and Europe not needed as they headed into summer. Saidi put out a plea to the government to instead of passing on the “negligible” savings to consumers, that they be reinvested in the sector to develop renewable energy. amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dubai realty may see double-digit growth
Dubai real estate buoyant Abdul Basit (INTERVIEW) / 1 June 2013 Property prices and rentals in Dubai are expected to increase by double-digit numbers this year while the decision on the emirate’s bid for World Expo 2020 will set the trend for years ahead, according to an industry specialist. “The real estate market this year is buoyant and I think it will continue to remain buoyant. Investors have to remain careful to see signs of flipping,” Sameer Lakhani, managing director of Unitas Consultancy, told Khaleej Times in an interview. “I think this year, both in terms of commercial prices as well as residential prices [breaking down into villa and condominium segments], we are looking at a double-digit increase both in terms of rentals and prices.” At present and for the last few months, the real estate market has been quite buoyant and it had resurgent activity based on certain factors, he said, adding that external factor is the World Expo 2020 bid and other major developments, including Mohammed Bin Rashid (MBR) City and major projects on the Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (the former Emirates Road) corridor. The revival of business activity is partly as a result of global economic recovery and the Arab Spring, Lakhani added. The World Expo bid will act as a catalyst for growth, creating thousands of jobs, and stimulating growth as residents move to communities surrounding Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. The UAE is bidding to host Expo 2020 in Dubai and competing with four other countries. The winner will be announced in November 2013. The World Expo has never been held in the Middle East, Africa and South-east Asia. “In Dubai, we had a revival for about a year now and it began with the residential sector, specifically in villa space. Since the last quarter we have witnessed a significant revival of activities in prices,” he said. Talking about active buyers in the market, he said that statistics released by Dubai’s Land Department indicate that they are South Asians and mostly Indians, in addition to those Pakistan, Iran and Arab countries. “Our analysis indicates that mostly end users are buying properties and now they account for one in four,” he said, adding that in 2007 and 2008 there were less end-users and lot of off-plan properties were bought due to lose credit. He agreed that “flipping” is still in the market but at very less degree. Lakhani said that Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Emirates Living are expected to outperform as end-user ownership in 2013. “A migratory effect will take place to areas such as Jumeirah Village and Sports City as tier-one markets start pricing out middle income families. Rental rates in these areas are expected to rise by 15-20 per cent this year.” He believes that the trend of home ownership in Dubai will continue, fuelled by the creation of new jobs. Dubai World Central and Al Maktoum International Airport will be the magnet for more jobs and communities, and Dubai’s World Expo bid will act as a fillip to this. Responding to a question, he said that nobody knows about new mortgage rules, but it’s better if there are some curbs for mortgage lending. Giving Hong Kong and Singapore as examples where property buyers face strict rules for a second home, Lakhani said curbs limit speculative activity in the market that’s the reason the UAE Central Bank showed concern about it and is planning to introduce new rules and a cap. “I think check-and-balance is healthy,” he said. Quoting Land Department statistics, Lakhani said more than one out of four transactions is still mortgages. Overall, 30 per cent of transactions are mortgage which is a good sign, he added. “I think right now the challenge is to come up with more supply and we know the bulk of the additional supply is coming on the Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road corridor,” Lakhani said. He added that occupancy level at the moment is between 80 to 95 per cent based on specific locations and that’s the reason developers are going south. He explained that the Marina area’s occupancy level is above 90 per cent while in Jumeirah Lakes Tower it’s above 95 per cent, and in most of these areas enough land is not available. So developers are going to Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road as there is land available in areas like Jumeirah Village, MBR City, Arjan, Majan and Falcon City. Lakhani believes that there’s no bubble at the moment. To characterise the bubble, there are three or four factors. One of the factors is valuation, he said, adding that it’s rental yields, which was below four and five per cent in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and now rental yields on villas is at 5.5 per cent and six per cent, and for apartments, it’s seven per cent. Offices are even higher, he added. So for a valuation perspective, prices indicate that there is an upside potential especially compared to the rest of the world. The second indicator of a bubble is losing credit or having too much money. In 2007 and 2008, mortgages were given at zero down payments and today it’s not existing because of very prudent and conservative lending policies. The central bank is very closely monitoring mortgage lending activities. The third indicator is the amount of speculation that’s known as off-plan projects. In 2007 and 2008, one out of every three transactions was off-plan, while today it’s only at one out of less than eight. “If you consider all these three indicators, I believe around this time there is no bubble,” Lakhani said. abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
