Sharjah settles Dh51 million debt of 131 Emiratis
Step came in line with directive of Sharjah Ruler to provide a decent life for citizens
Sharjah: The Sharjah Debt Settlement Committee (SDSC) on Sunday approved an amount of Dh51,596,000, to settle 131 cases of UAE citizens’ debts.
The step came in implementation of the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, aimed at providing a decent life for citizens.
Rashid Ahmed bin Al Sheikh, chief of Sharjah Emiri Court and head of SDSC, said so far 1,707 citizens have benefited from the committee’s debt repayment process, with a total of Dh838,382,153 in debts being settled.
Minimum salary
Also on Sunday, Dr Sheikh Sultan announced that he is working to raise the minimum salary of 5,476 low-income retirees, to Dh17,500. The announcement came during his phone call to the live ‘Direct Line’ show on Sharjah TV and Sharjah Radio.
“We are working to raise the salaries of three categories of retired people, other than the local cadre of the emirate. They are ‘the bedridden’, ‘the healthy’, and ‘the families of the deceased’, whose salaries are less than Dh17,500, so they can reach the level of a decent living,” Sheikh Sultan said.
For category of “families of the deceased”, the salaries of 439 families will be raised to Dh17,500.
For “the healthy” category, they will be provided work from one to three days a week for limited hours in special committees, in return for a financial reward.
A solution for “the bedridden” category is also being worked out. “We take care of providing treatment and securing all the needs of bedridden retirees,” he said.
Dr Sheikh Sultan also said new projects such as markets, parks, and institutions will provide jobs for Emiratis.
During the call, Dr Sheikh Sultan also mentioned that Sharjah Safari will open on January 15, 2022.