A balanced diet for sustainable growth

The UAE has taken a major step in consolidating its gains from economic developments by announcing a comprehensive three-year plan - the UAE Government Strategy - that is to take the country to a new level of prosperity by 2010.

• Social Development
  Development of a population policy and determining minimum standards for work environment and accommodation for workforce.
• Economic Devt
  Establish a National Competitive Council to advise Federal Government on competitive issues; establish a national statistics office.
• Infrastructure
  Formulate a housing strategy and bring private sector into the Shaikh Zayed Housing Scheme.
• Rural Development
  Formation of a ministerial council to oversee the rural development in the UAE.
• Justice & Safety
  Establish a National Emergency System and devise a comprehensive Federal Emergency Management Regulation System.
•  Government Sector
  Modernise civil service by updating laws and launch a business process re-engineering programme to simplify ministerial transactions.

The UAE's highly decentralised growth strategy over the past 36 years has created a certain degree of growth imbalance among the seven emirates.

The new strategy is aimed at providing a more balanced diet to the country's growth-hungry emirates and create harmonious growth.

While announcing the UAE Government Strategy to more than 1,000 dignitaries in Abu Dhabi yesterday, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said, "The changing times and the nature of the challenges prompt us to think in a different way and to adopt international best practices in the area of public administration.

"Hence this strategy, that unifies efforts within a strategic framework with clear objectives based on detailed studies, clearly identifies and integrates federal and local efforts."

The UAE Government Strategy embodies a wide sweep of principles; most important of which is enhancing the level of government services to UAE nationals and expatriates, and in unifying efforts within a common framework focusing on the people of UAE.

The new policy document, comprising 21 topics categorised under six major sectors, follows a number of general principles that stress continuous cooperation between federal and local authorities; revitalisation of the regulatory and policy making role of the ministries and improve decision-making mechanisms; increasing the efficiency of governmental bodies; upgrade the level of services based on customer needs; develop civil service regulations and human resources, focus on competence, effective emiratisation and leadership training; and empower ministries to manage their activities inline with public and joint policies and review and upgrade legislations and regulations.

"The strategy has been developed in line with the vision of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the National Programme he launched in December 2005.

"Therefore, the strategy's objectives concur with those of the National Programme that focus on achieving sustainable and balanced development and a high quality of life for all UAE nationals," Shaikh Mohammad said.

The strategy marks a new beginning of government sector performance in the UAE.

It is in line with major economic developments taking place in the UAE and focuses on implementing best practices in all government sectors to achieve prosperity on one hand and promote the UAE's regional and international status on the other.

"As we present this strategy, which sets the foundations for a new era of public administration, we remember the devotion with which our founding fathers built this nation and aimed to give its people a better life," Shaikh Mohammad said.