Saudi Visa & Travel Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia government’s Saudi Company for Visa and Travel Solutions (SVTS), has refuted a news report run by the Bangladesh Post on October 18 under the caption "New visa centre by two Saudis trying to get embassy nod".
In a rejoinder, the company said that through a Royal decree the Saudi government has granted SVTS the exclusive right to establish visa centers in more than 100 countries, including Bangladesh, with the responsibility to receive passports, register biometric fingerprints and fill in visa applications.
“SVTS has established, in compliance with the Bangladesh laws and regulations, a subsidiary company in Bangladesh namely "Saudi Visa & Travel Solutions Limited" ("Tasheer"),” it said.
“The shareholders of Tasheer are Saudi companies (SVTS and Tahakom investments company (TIC) which are owned by a Saudi governmental entity, and the directors of Tasheer are two Saudi nationals, Mr. Abdulaziz Alnowaiser and Mr. Fahad Alamoud, who have been appointed by the shareholders of Tasheer. Mr. Abdulaziz Alnowaiser and Mr. Fahad Alamoud are not owners of Tasheer nor any of the aforementioned entities,” it added.
According to the rejoinder, the board of directors of Tasheer appointed a Bangladeshi national as a company secretary for the purpose of obtaining the required licenses to operate Tasheer.
“Tasheer confirms that its services are complementary to the services provided by the recruitment agencies in Bangladesh and do not have any conflict with them. With regards to Work Visas, only fingerprints of visa applicants are processed through Tasheer to ensure safe travel of visa applicants and to facilitate their entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This also includes the verification of any entrance restrictions in advance, which will protect the Bangladeshi recruitment agencies from bearing unnecessary costs for those banned from traveling to Saudi Arabia…,” it said.
The rejoinder said, “Tasheer in Bangladesh employed Bangladeshi citizens and would thus create employment opportunities locally. Tasheer will contribute to the national exchequer by paying taxes in Bangladesh. It will also spend money locally to procure the necessary materials and provide its services. If there is any profit after incurring the operational costs and payment of taxes, the excess money may be remitted as dividends to the shareholders, which will be done adhering to the regulations issued by the Bangladesh Bank as is done by any other company with foreign shareholders.”
