RIYADH — The General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) has stressed that the rise in the value added tax (VAT) on all goods and services from 5 percent to 15 percent will go into effect on July 1, 2020. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the GAZT urged all citizens and expatriates to report any facility that violates this decision and increases the VAT on the goods or services before the specified date via the call center 19993 or the VAT application for the smart phones. The authority also called on the businesses to abide by the announced date to apply the new VAT, affirming that legal procedures will be taken in a case of violations. The hike in the VAT is one of the measures taken by the Saudi government to protect the Kingdom"s economy and help it overcome the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic. — SPA