The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unified selective excise tax and the unified value added tax (VAT) agreements, have come into effect after ratification by the UAE.

The General Secretariat of the GCC has received the UAE's ratification documents for the two agreements, a Wam news agency report said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the secretariat said: "The UAE is the second state to submit the two ratification documents to the secretariat."

The two agreements have become effective when the second state submits the ratification documents to the secretariat, it added. Hence, the GCC unified selective excise tax and the VAT agreements have come into force, the statement added.