Bahrain’s House of Representatives has approved a bill allowing for value-added tax to be collected, sending it onto the National Assembly’s upper chamber, the Shura Council.
The state-run Bahrain News Agency reported that the lawmakers’ decision Sunday came during an extraordinary session.
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Once approved by the Shura Council, it must be implemented by King Hamad to take effect.
The valued-added taxes, or VAT, are part of a push by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to launch the tax. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already implemented the 5-percent taxes in January.
The island kingdom of Bahrain has seen its economy suffer in recent years, adding to its simmering political unrest. It just received a $10 billion pledge Thursday from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
