DUBAI - Dubai Customs has completed 452,300 insurance refund requests with a value of AED3.2 billion in H1 2020, according to the latest statistics from the Refund and Maqasa Department at Dubai Customs.

The smart Insurance Refund Portal helps clients submit their claims 24/7, which saves their time and reduces cost on them.

Dubai Customs has gone far in introducing innovative systems and portals that enable clients complete their transactions online without any need for physical attendance.

"The Smart Refund System is the first of its kind in the world and can handle two million requests a year, which means more than 5,000 applications a day. This has helped the clients and the department in many ways. Dubai Customs is the first customs organisation in the GCC that offers the service of insurance refund online,"Mohammed Al Hashmi, Director of Refund and Maqasa Department, said.

Insurance refunded in H1 2020 amounted to around AED2.44 billion. There were 49.9 claims with a value of AED249.3 million of customs duties in the online Maqasa system.

"Closing insurance refund claims, which takes two working days to complete, contribute in more liquidity to companies and attracting more foreign investments in the country. The system has seen a number of improvements which made it faster, more efficient and transparent. This enables 24/7 submission of refund applications through a central data processing unit, and clients can track the status of their claims from their mobile phones," Al Hashmi added.

With the adoption of this smart system, clearing of non-hazardous shipments increased 98 percent compared to local goods, he noted.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2020.