Dubai: Boosting the UAE economy is the main point on the agenda of Federal National Council (FNC) candidate Abdul Shakoor Tahlak.
Leading the UAE economy wisely through the global turbulence is a priority for Tahlak, senior executive vice-president of Emirates NBD Bank. He believes an FNC member's duties are not just to bring problems to tlight, but also to look for viable solutions.
"Economic and financial legislation should be regularly reviewed to make suggestions based on regional and international changes," he said.
"When we talk about Emiratisation in the banking sector, for example, we need to know how many Emiratis hold effective and leading positions in banks, not just the total number of Emirati employees," he said.
Emirati employees need to get proper and practical training at reputed international banking institutions based in the UAE to be qualified to lead in the sector, according to Tahlak.
Reducing the burden of loans is the second point he wants to tackle by focusing on the cultural and social aspects of the problem besides the economic angle.
"The main reason for waste in our community is our mentality, and we must work to change and develop social awareness and culture, which is the only way to make real change," he said.
"There are many government assistance programmes such as the Marriage Fund, and people should not rely completely on banks and expect the government to pay off their loans, as it is a shared responsibility," Tahlak said.
He also believes that spending wisely should be taught to children from a young age and introduced into the national curriculum.
‘Standard of education'
"A child should be taught how to live and make use of the subjects he is learning by linking them to his daily life.
"We need to invest in the human being and ask ourselves if we are happy with the standard of education in the UAE and whether it keeps up with the economic and construction development," he said.
"I would like us to stop looking for excuses and blaming others for our problems and to assess our performance and ask ourselves if we have fulfilled our obligations," Tahlak said.
"We should ask ourselves whether we have given the right physical and mental nutrition to our children, whether we have done everything we can to enhance their national identity which stems from our Arabic culture and heritage and Islamic religion," he said.
Firmly establishing national identity is not done overnight, but is a process that starts from childhood, and it is not just a point on FNC candidates' agendas, he added.
‘Consultative role'
"I cannot make promises because I don't have the power to fulfil them. As a FNC member, I only have a consultative role and I'm not a decision maker," Tahlak said.
"FNC discusses problems and submits proposals to the cabinet, which then issues appropriate decisions, so everyone must know that the FNC is governed by a set of rules.
"Accordingly, my role would be to look into the different policies such as education, health, social security and economy, which are being discussed by FNC members.
"Our duty is to work as hard as we can to reach our aspirations because voters expect FNC candidates to participate in reaching positive solutions and making suggestions that can be endorsed by the legislators," Tahlak commented.
