RIYADH — The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments is currently exempting the endowment sector from labor charges, fees on white lands and taxes, business daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Sunday quoting the authority's governor, Emad Al-Kharashi. "We are also completing the electronic linkage with many other parties during 2020," he said adding that the authority is making efforts to empower the sector and deal with the challenges facing it. This is being done with cooperation from other concerned bodies, Kharashi said the authority and its partners have defined the obstacles facing the sector and suggested possible remedies. "There is great coordination with the concerned parties to engineer the endowment procedures and to attract businessmen and women toward investing in the sector," he said. The governor said through its electronic portal, the authority is providing a number of services including registration of endowments, ascertaining the unknown endowments and receiving complaints against the endowments and their supervisors. "We receive suggestions from citizens and expatriates regarding endowments on a special page named "sustainability and empowerment platform", he explained. The governor revealed that the authority had signed an agreement with the ministry of justice to exchange data and to complete the electronic linkage with many ministries and government departments. The authority was established about three years ago to organize, preserve and promote the endowment sector so as to boost its role in the economic and social development according to the Shariah. Al-Kharashi said the authority has established an endowment company for strategic investments so as to make more revenues. He said the authority has earmarked about SR100 million to repair and maintain downtown Jeddah including many mosques and other historic buildings.
