DUBAI, 12 Nov, 05 (WAM) - ePermit, innovative application thatprovides online access to engineering consultants to the BuildingPermit process, launched recently by the Civil Engineering Department(CED) of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC)has generated tremendous interest among engineering consultantsin Dubai.
The CED has received 54 applications through the ePermit inless than a month after the launch of the service, which highlightsthe efficiency of the service, according to reports in the UAE'sdailies.
ePermit enables engineering consultants to apply for and obtainBuilding Permit for any development project within the variousbusiness units under the purview of the Department, via the Internet.
Of the 54 applications receive\d by the CED, 15 applicationswere returned for re-submission due to incomplete information. The permits required by engineering consultants ranged from buildingof new office blocks to construction of warehouses."The response for the ePermit service has been overwhelming,which emphasises the usefulness of an online application process,"said Nazek Al Sabbagh, Head of Civil Engineering Department.
"With the construction industry in Dubai at an all time high,we had been receiving a large number of applications for buildingpermits. By making the entire process online, we are able toprocess these applications at a much faster rate, and moreoverthe consultants can apply for permits and check the status withoutcoming personally to our offices." Engineering consultants intendingto obtain a building permit from CED need to register onlineand then submit details of their development projects as wellas the application for Building Permit for the Department's review. Following a comprehensive assessment of the received applicationsby engineers at CED and the Environment, Health and Safety andFire Protection Departments, applicants are sent feedbacks fromthe various engineers involved in the review process for anyclarification, objection or compliance requirements regardingthe relevant engineering standards and construction regulations. The ePermit portal provides useful links to Civil EngineeringDepartment construction regulations, submission requirements,location maps of various departments, contact numbers as wellas a FAQ section.Niraj Thakkar, Assistant Manager, Al Jassim Engineering Consultants,a client of CED said: "The ePermit service is extremely beneficialas it minimises the paper work and significantly reduces thetime taken for obtaining building permits. We usually requireat least two permits per month for our clients for contractsthat range from Dh five million to 20 million on an average."Saad Hana Girgis, from Dar Al Handasah, another of CED's clients,said: "We have lots of projects in Jebel Ali Free Zone and theinvestments in some of our projects range from Dh120 to 200 million.
I believe that applying for building permits through the ePermitwill simplify our work as we require about five permits per month,in addition to revisions to other permits." "With the ePermitservice, the process of applying for building permit has becomeeven more transparent and user-friendly. We are confident thatan increasing number of engineering consultants will make bestuse of our service, and we will be introducing more processesonline in a phased manner over the coming months," added Al Sabbagh.
