Ras al-Khaimah Economic Development Department has launched a range of recent incentives that include the “Virtual Merchant Licence Initiative,” WAM reported.
The new initiative, according to the Department, is in line with the directives of the Ras al-Khaimah Government to adopt e-commerce in the local business sector, by taking advantage of websites, social media and smart applications.
Dr. Abdulrahman Al Shayeb Al Naqbi, Director-General of the Department, highlighted the urgent need to encourage businesses to utilise new technologies, as part of the country’s efforts to organise, monitor and adopt commercial protection criteria, especially for consumers, in the area of e-commerce, as well as to protect the rights of customers and identify their obligations.
Mohammed Al Mahmoud, Acting Director-General of the Department and Head of its Business Environment Reinforcement Team, said that the initiative’s work includes many commercial projects, which are conducted through social media, websites and smart application by UAE nationals and Ras al-Khaimah residents.
These activities which are subject to licencing as per the initiative, include a majority of e-retail sales, information technology activities, commercial and real estate brokerage, e-consultancy businesses, media activities, and other activities related to intellectual and individual work that is done electronically, which will be assessed by the department’s relevant administration, he added.
Dr. Abdulhali Muhaissen, Department Economic Advisor, said that granting licences to e-economic activities will be subject to a range of regulatory measures, including prior approval from relevant federal and local authorities, ensuring the personal privacy of customers and their data, providing security for external transactions to avoid future crimes and commercial fraud, presenting complete and reliable information on products to prevent commercial fraud, providing security authorities with the addresses of relevant websites, complying with copyright and ownership rights, and ensuring that e-payment systems are licenced by the Central Bank of the UAE.
