Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi The Federal National Council (FNC) demands the Government better explain criteria for evaluating performance of ministries to promote accountability and strengthen official watchdogs.
Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi, an FNC member from Dubai, will be quizzing Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, today over standards for assessing performance of ministries.
Al Suwaidi refused to deal with a written answer presented to a previous FNC session to his questions and demanded the minister appear at a later date. He said he wanted to know the criteria for evaluating ministries.
He added the House's concerns were prompted by the budget debate in December where the House learnt that several ministries did not implement all their proposed programmes during 2008.
The advisory council cited "repeated irregularities" in ministries' spending habits and criticised some for not carrying out their basic tasks.
The FNC members attributed these irregularities to lack of budget or improper planning.
They criticised several federal institutions for what they described as accounting failures and cited what they called "repeated violations" in ministries' spending habits, as reported in the 2008 federal accounts.
They pointed to cases of ministries' failure to spend their allotted budgets, and failure to implement projects for which they had been granted funding.
The move comes as the council is seeking a clearer means of monitoring the way the laws it suggests are considered and enacted by the Government, in an effort to expand its influence over the legislative process.
Half of the 40-member council was elected through a hand-picked group of Emiratis who voted from a list of candidates — in a major reform introduced in 2006. The other 20 members were appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates.
Advisory role
The FNC plays an advisory role to the Federal Supreme Council, the President and the Cabinet, recommending new laws and regulations. At present, however, it has few ways of ensuring the laws are implemented uniformly, or at all, in each emirate.
The FNC agenda for today's session includes seven questions ranging from the increase in the prices of commodities and services resulting from the hike in petrol prices and Emiratisation of mosque scholars (imams) and prayer callers (muezzins) to the performance of government bodies.
Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister for State for Foreign and FNC Affairs, will be answering three questions on endowment funds and publications of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf (Endowments).
Three other questions will be submitted to Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, concerning the government control of bank accounts and flow of funds and decreasing the retirement age of Emirati women.
In addition to calls for new powers, the FNC demands the involvement of Emiratis be increased in the lawmaking process. The House plans to educate people on the legislative process and on ways of expressing their views to those who set government policy.
By Samir Salama
Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
