ABU DHABI // A Federal National Council member has called for the independence of federal entities, separating them from the leadership of UAE ministers.
Currently, 70 per cent of federal government entities are headed by ministers, information passed to the council revealed.
On Tuesday, Abdulaziz Al Zaabi (RAK) called on Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, to ask the Cabinet to re-evaluate the situation.
Instead of ministers, Mr Al Zaabi said, Emiratis of high competency should be hired to ensure the independence of the agencies.
He specifically mentioned the petrol, post and pension authorities as examples. Mr Al Gergawi noted that the space agency was not.
Mr Al Gargawi said this was under the purview of the Cabinet. He said in 2011 only eight per cent of entities were headed by non-ministers, but the number has slowly increased.
“The direction of the Cabinet is to have people of high competency and not ministers to head boards and federal entities,” he said.
He said in some instances, some federal authorities were governed by a law which required the director general or the chairman to also be a minister. In such cases, he said, the law should be amended.
In other instances, he said some entities should be headed by minister due to their specialisation.
“Thirty per cent of boards and entities are not headed by ministers,” Mr Al Gergawi said. “This is a percentage that is revised every now and then.”
Mr Al Zaabi said the cabinet should work to reach 100 per cent.
“I agree with the minister that there must be a recommendation from the council to amend laws to help raise the percentage from 30 per cent upwards,” he said.
Mr Al Gergawi reiterated that the existing plan was under the general direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
“We always look at the competency of the person, whether they are from the council of ministers or not,” Mr Al Gergawi said.
Mr Al Zaabi said the country was more than 43 years old and had a sufficient number of Emiratis who were fully prepared to take on such governing roles.
At the end of the session, the council raised a recommendation calling on the Cabinet to ensure ministers were replaced by competent Emiratis at federal entities and on boards of directors.
osalem@thenational.ae
