ABU DHABI // The FNC has been assured of faster, more complete information after it reconvenes in October.
Tariq Lootah, under secretary at the Ministry of FNC Affairs, and the council's general secretariat recently signed an agreement to improve cooperation on access to data.
It means any government body that fails to meet requests for information from the FNC will be referred to the Minister of State for FNC Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, who will seek a quick response.
The agreement is a new commitment to the process, which was in place before last September's FNC election. It followed a complaint last month to Dr Gargash that members had struggled to obtain information from ministries and other government bodies.
They said they were forced to rely on information in the media for areas including cancer, debt and road deaths, and that ministers later criticised them for using inaccurate information.
Dr Gargash told members to inform him each time they ran into such problems.
"I understand your worry because a lot of discussions of the committees depends on getting data in time," he said. "If they are late it affects the work of the committees.
"In this respect, I agree with [members] completely. The data needs to come on time, full and in detail."
Dr Gargash said such delays had caused problems for previous councils and that it had earlier been decided the FNC general secretariat would discuss any such problems with the bodies concerned.
But he said that left the Ministry of FNC Affairs out of the loop.
"Currently, we do not know of any late documents because communication is between the general secretariat and government bodies," Dr Gargash said. "Unless we are told we do not know."
However, Marwan bin Ghalita, a member from Dubai, said the system should not be necessary and was a sign of disrespect for the FNC.
"Is there data that is private from the council members?" Mr bin Ghalita asked. "Do we … have to search in media and online to get this data?
"We are not asking for top-secret information. Why does every letter from us have to have the Ministry of FNC Affairs cc-ed in?"
He said it was the council's right for the general secretariat to be able to speak to government bodies.
"[The Prime Minister] Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has called for transparency," Mr bin Ghalita said.
Hamad Al Rahoumi (Dubai) said the problem was frustrating.
"Right now, 80 per cent of information we ask for we do not get," Mr Al Rahoumi said. "The minister comes and says the numbers are not precise. That means they have them, and we have asked for them so why didn't we get them?"
Dr Gargash said he was shocked by the 80 per cent figure.
"I did not think it was this high," he said. "We ask for the old mechanism to be activated again."
osalem@thenational.ae
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
The%20specs
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
