The UAE economy minister expects more government entities to reduce federal services fees.

“There were positive measures in that aspect (reduction of federal fees), whether at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation or the Ministry of Economy, and we expect this to happen in other ministries,” Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri told reporters in Arabic, on the sidelines of an event in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

“Some local economic departments reduced the fees, and I expect that in the future, other entities will look at reducing the cost of the fees, taking into consideration the broader national interest and wider economy,” he added.

In July this year, a Cabinet decision reduced and cancelled fees for services of some federal entities, including 1,200 fees at the Ministry of Interior, 200 at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and 80 at the Ministry of Economy. Read more here

When asked about the pace of business and economic activity, he told reporters on the sidelines of the UAE-Lebanon Investment Forum:

“The worldwide economy currently faces challenges.”

“The UAE economy is strong and stable. While the economic growth figures may be less than those seen over the last ten years, there is positive growth, and that is difficult to achieve for other global economies. At the same time, the UAE is very integrated with the world economy, so we might be affected negatively or positively,” he said.

The UAE has the full ability to take prompt measures to support any sectors affected by certain geopolitical or investment conditions, he noted.

(Writing by Nada Al Rifai nada.rifai@refinitiv.com, editing by Seban Scaria)

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