German carmaker BMW said it will move the annual maintenance shutdown period for its British Mini plant to just after Britain is due to leave the European Union in April, in case there is no Brexit deal.
Carmakers generally close their factories over the summer for a few weeks to allow for retooling and repair work as many staff take vacation and sales are at their lowest ebb in the year.
"We have scheduled next year’s annual maintenance period at MINI Plant Oxford to start on April 1, when the UK exits the EU, to minimise the risk of any possible short-term parts-supply disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit," BMW said.
"While we believe this worst case scenario is an unlikely outcome, we have to plan for it."
Britain is due to the leave the EU on March 29 but London and Brussels have yet to agree the terms of a deal, with Prime Minister Theresa May battling to have her proposals accepted by many Brexiteers who want a cleaner break from the bloc.
BMW built nearly 220,000 cars at its southern English Oxford plant last year, accounting for 13 per cent of Britain's total car production of 1.67 million units.
But carmakers are worried that Brexit may impose customs checks on parts and finished models, adding costly delays to the manufacturing process.
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Read more:
No-deal Brexit will result in ‘substantial costs’ for the UK
Britain’s car industry cautions: no-deal Brexit is our nightmare
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The automotive sector, which employs more than 850,000 people in Britain, has warned that extra costs risk the viability of production sites.
Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said on Monday that it would go down to a three-day week at its Castle Bromwich plant from October until the beginning of December, after warning about the impact of Brexit and diesel policy.
BMW said it was sticking by its British production sites, which also include a Rolls-Royce car facility, an engine facility and a fourth site which houses a press shop and sub assembly.
"We remain committed to our operations in Britain, which is the only country in the world where we manufacture for all three of our automotive brands," BMW said.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
