For his part, the Minister of Finance and acting Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammed Al-Jadaan lauded the efforts made by the government and precautions made to protect the health of citizens and residents, in addition to the preventive measures implemented to deal with the consequences of the epidemic and limit its spread, ensure the continuity of the work of government agencies and to provide all required additional financial credits and health services necessary for prevention, treatment and non-proliferation of the pandemic. He stressed that these efforts came under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and as of a continuous follow-up by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, which confirmed their concern for human health, safety and security, as this is the priority of integrated government action from all relevant authorities. On the government's efforts to confront the global economic challenges that have occurred on national economic activity and the effects of the emerging Coronavirus, he explained that the rational government has prepared a number of urgent initiatives to support the private sector, especially small and medium sizes enterprises and economic activities most affected by the consequences of this epidemic, indicating that the volume of these initiatives has reached to more than SR 70 billion, in exemptions and postponement of some government dues to provide liquidity to the private sector, in order that they could be used to manage their economic activities, in addition to the support program announced by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, banking and financial institutions for small and medium enterprises, worth SR 50 billion, at the current stage. Furthermore, Al-Jadaan stated that these initiatives included: 1 - Exemption from financial compensation for expatriates whose residency permits expired, until June 30, 2020, by extending their residency for a period of three months, without charge. 2 - Enabling employers to refund issued work visa fees that were not exploited during the period of the entry and exit ban, even if they were stamped on the passport, or extended for a period of three months, without charge. 3 - Enabling employers to extend exit and return visas that were not used during the period of the ban on entry and exit from the Kingdom for a period of three months, without charge. 4 - Enabling the employers for a period of three months to postpone the supply of value-added tax, selective goods tax and income tax, postpone the submission of Zakat declarations and postpone the payment of obligations dues there from, and grant zakat certificates without restrictions for the duration of the FY2019 approval period, and expand acceptance of installment requests without stipulation of advance payment, by the General Authority of Zakat and Income Tax, in addition to postponing the implementation of the procedures for stopping services and seizing funds from them, and setting necessary standards to extend the postponement period for the most affected activities, as needed. 5 - Postponing the collection of customs duties on imports for a period of thirty days in exchange for providing a bank guarantee, for the next three months, and setting the necessary criteria for extending the postponement period for the most affected activities as needed. 6 - Postponing the payment of some government services fees and municipal fees dues on private sector establishments, for a period of three months, and setting the necessary standards to extend the delay period for the most affected activities, as needed. 7 - Authorizing the minister of finance to approve lending and other forms of financing and exemption from payment of fees and returns of loans granted until the end of the year 2020, for the Corporate Sustainability Program Initiative. 8 - Postponing the payment of the amounts due to a number of development funds and banks for a period ranging from three to nine months, and enabling the institutions borrowing from these funds and banks, including industrial and agricultural establishments and small and medium enterprises, to reschedule their debts and provide loans to finance the working capital of these establishments. -- More 19:43 LOCAL TIME 16:43 GMT 0012 www.spa.gov.sa/w1291969