ABU DHABI: The Cabinet has reshuffled the board of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and the Federal Electricity & Water Authority and amended the rules of the Social Responsibility Fund, an affiliate of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The decisions were made by the Cabinet at a meeting chaired at the Presidential Palace by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to appoint Reem Al-Hashemi, Minister of State, as Chairperson of the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD).

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in remarks at the meeting, underscored the need for speeding up the implementation of the government's infrastructure plans in the northern regions.

He also stressed that the new governmental legislations need to be flexible enough to keep up with the rapid changes in all spheres.

Speedy implementation of projects and flexible legislations represent the real basis for successful governmental work, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid.

The new board of FEWA is chaired by Mohammed Bin Dhaen Al-Hamli, the Energy Minister and its membership includes Khalid Kalban, of Dubal, Abdullah Saif Al-Nuaimi of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Abdullah Balhaif Al-Nuaimi of the Ministry of Public Works, Mohammed Khalfan Al-Nuaimi of the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA), Mohammed Thani Juma' Al-Maktoum of the Ministry of Finance, Ahmed Mattar Al-Mazrouie of Mubadala and Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutawwa of the Ministry of Energy.

The new board of ESMA will be chaired by Rashid Bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water and its membership includes Lt. Saif Abdullah Al-Shafar the undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Shehhi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, Sultan Bin Hada Al-Suwaidi, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department, Hussain Salim Al-Kathiri, the Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Salim Mohammed Mismar of the Dubai Municipality, Alia Mohammed Al-Marmoum of the Federal Customs Authority (FCA), Mohammed Al-Qamzi, the CEO of the Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp) and Dr. Nawal Al-Hosani of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (MASDAR).

Amendments to the rules of the Social Responsibility Fund include the setting up of "Khadamat" (Arabic for services), a new portfolio to enable the Fund to provide direct material support to social security beneficiaries, the appointment of a director general, the setting up of a Special Committee on Employment of the Disabled as well as diversifying the Fund's services to include the reception of support from the public and private sectors.

In the same context, the Cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a similar committee at the Ministry of Education to draw up executive programs to ensure that disabled students have equal opportunity access to education at all schools and institutes.

The cabinet also approved a the Ministry of Health's proposal of amendment to the lists of illegal drugs and narcotics.

Also present at the Cabinet's meeting were HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.