UAE Ministry of Labour begin levying fine of Dh1,000 from companies fail to issue or renew electronic labour cards of employees

 Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Labour will begin levying a fine of Dh1,000 from companies that fail to issue or renew electronic labour cards of their employees from Sunday.
The move is in line with the Cabinet resolution over violations of labour laws.

However, Humaid bin Dimas Al Suwaidi, assistant under-secretary of the Ministry for Labour Affairs, said employers will be given a grace period — January 4 to June 30, 2015 — to adjust their status.

Employers who failed to issue or renew electronic Labour cards or “Plastic Labour Cards” for their employees will have to pay a maximum of Dh1,000 for each labour card that has not been issued or renewed by December 31, 2014.
He revealed that fines have so far reached a total amount of Dh2.85 billion, which will be reduced to Dh100 million as per the grace period given to employers for settlement.
The period covers the electronic card applications not issued or renewed until the end of this December.He urged employers to benefit from the grace period to settle the status of their workers and apply for the issuance and renewal of their workers’ e-labour cards.
Al Suwaidi said about 100,000 applications were submitted by 40,000 firms, representing 13 per cent of the total firms registered by the ministry.
“This confirms the government’s keenness to support employers and motivate them to settle those fines, which is a tool used by the ministry to control and regulate the labour market and provide protection to the workers,” Al Suwaidi added.
He explained that there are thousands of cards, some of which have fines reaching Dh53,000.
“Now that large fines have been reduced to only a Dh1,000, it is an opportunity for all employers and business owners to settle those fines and remove any sorts of restrictions in their records at the ministry,” Humaid said.
Furthermore, offenders during the grace period, will be stopped from obtaining all kinds of labour permits until they settle all the above mentioned fines. “Starting July 2015, employers will be asked to pay the Dh1,000 fine per card in addition to another Dh500 for each month of delay,” Bin Deemas pointed.

Al Suwaidi stated that the Ministry of Labour, starting from January 4, 2015, will fine employers “Dh500 per month if they fail to provide employment contracts to the ministry within a 60-day period starting from the entry of the employee into the country.”

He explained that this decision represents the keenness of the UAE to protect labourers’ rights and ensure a stable relationship between employer and employee with full transparency.
He said that the period of 60 days is sufficient for the employer to sign a contract with his new employee through Tas’heel service centres to properly document this, and any excuses of delay will not be accepted.

Short-term UAE visit visa via smartphone

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has launched three new procedural services via smartphones, which include issuance of short-term visit visas (for 30 days), renewal of citizens’ passports, and issuance of Certificates of Good Conduct (Criminal Status Certificates).

The new services are launched under the slogan 'One Application... Multiple Services' and embody the UAE Smart Government initiative.

Major-General Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Head of the e-Services and Smart Applications Team at the MoI, explained that the new short-term visa issuance service saves time for citizens and residents alike, and enables individuals to apply for a 30-day visa through their smartphones, without the hassle of visiting the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs at the Naturalisation Residency and Port Sector.

Once the visa is issued, it will be delivered to the applicants via accredited entities designated by the MoI.

He also noted that the Civil Defense informatics services provide individuals and institutions with the necessary information about compliance certificates, as well as executive approvals for architectural, gas, and decoration.

More new services

Maj-Gen Dr Al Raisi announced that the MoI is planning to launch a new bundle of services for Traffic, Naturalisation, Residency, and Civil Defense sectors; as well as other services in the upcoming period via the UAE - MoI smartphones apps.

“The MoI has already initiated the necessary executive procedures to expand these services and make them accessible to all citizens and residents,” he said.

Maj-Gen Dr Al Raisi said, “A Smart Application Centre was established at the Ministry of Interior. It is operated by a highly qualified team of Emirati citizens, to handle all electronic procedures pertaining to these services, and respond to customers’ inquiries via the call center on 8005000.”

He also noted that to date 205,000 individuals are using the applications that the MoI has launched early this year, with an average 54,000 uses per day. While the number of subscribers via the Emirates ID card amounts to 62,000 users.

MoI platform supports Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Windows compatible smartphones.

It provides an electronic link with a number of partners in the UAE, car inspection and insurance companies; as well as an integrated comprehensive link to the ministry’s website, through the unified login mechanism (username and password) to obtain services from any channel of electronic communication.

Users can register once using the single sign-in feature on the website or through smartphones, and gain access to all of the MoI’s services.

Dh20,000 fine for 'visa trading' firms in UAE

Companies involved in visa trading without any other business will be fined Dh20,000 in line with a federal cabinet decision that was enforced in August.

The penalty could reach Dh50,000 in case the company repeated that offence within a year, according to the new decision issued by the Dubai-based daily Al Bayan.

It said the decision is intended to crack down on “fake” companies which are registered in the UAE but are not involved in any business except trading in visas for expatriates.

“This is a very serious phenomenon as it gives rise to illegal migrants at a time when the country is locked in a drive to end anarchy and ensure stability,” the paper said, quoted an official at the ministry of interior.

Age bar for Indian maids in Saudi Arabia set between 25 and 50 years

The age of Indian domestic workers looking for employment in Saudi Arabia has been set between 25 and 50 years under a new employment agreement finalised by the two countries, media reported.

“Our agreement with India sets the age of the domestic workers coming to the Kingdom [Saudi Arabia] at between 25 and 50 years. If an Indian maid aged 25 agrees to come to Saudi Arabia, the Indian government will not prevent her,” media reported citing Ahmad Al Faheed, Saudi labour ministry undersecretary for international affairs as saying on Sunday.
Al Faheed said that the maids would be subjected to a crash course in their respective states in India before being sent to Saudi Arabia.Such training will be provided by labour agencies in India, he said.

Moreover, Saudi labour agencies are planning to set up offices in India to supervise procedures for the recruitment of maids in Saudi Arabia, including visa, travel, training and other issues, the report said.
Earlier this month, the Saudi-Indian joint committee on labour issues finalised the recruitment contract of domestic workers that consists of several provisions to ensure the authenticity and implementation of the standard employment contract, the recruitment cost, action against recruitment agencies violating laws and a mechanism to prevent cheating by middlemen.

The new recruitment contract is aimed at easing a shortage of domestic workers in the world’s largest oil-exporting country.

The standard employment contract provides minimum wages, working hours, paid holidays and a dispute settlement mechanism.

However, the joint agreement also sets forth specific conditions for incoming domestic workers.

“They should be of good conduct, should not have legal or criminal cases. They should pass a medical check-up, and abide by the laws and traditions during the period of work in the kingdom,” the report said.

Mandatory seat belt for backseat passengers proposed in UAE

The Federal Traffic Council (FTC) proposed in its latest meeting that passengers in a vehicle’s back seat must fasten their seat belts and those who don’t will be considered offenders and will be issued fines.

Maj Gen Mohammad Said Al Zafein, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Operations’ Affairs and Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council, said violators will be fined Dh400 and given four black points.

He explained that the council took the age and height of the passenger into consideration, as well as the view of the policeman, when drafting the proposal which has yet to become law.

Injuries are more severe in accidents where seat belts were not used, Maj Gen Al Zafein said, which is why the Ministry of Interior puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of seat belts.
Maj Gen Al Zafein said international scientific studies have confirmed the role of the seat belt in saving many lives, as they prevent the person from hitting the steering wheel or the dashboard or flying through the windshield due to inertia when the car stops suddenly.

He said studies also showed that the risk of death of a passenger in the front seat with their seat belt on increases if a passenger in the backseat is not wearing their seat belt and vice versa.

“When an accident happens, the car stops but the passengers’ bodies continue to move forward at the same speed that the vehicle was moving. If the vehicle was at 100 km/h before the accident, the passenger will be hurled with a force between 1,000kg-1,500kg if not wearing a seat belt, which can cause death or injury to himself as well as other passengers in the vehicle.”

Last month the FTC announced that they had proposed a new law to fine drivers or their passengers if they put any part of their body out of the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion, as well as a law to punish drivers preoccupied with matters other than driving.

Drinking water without EQM mark not to be allowed in UAE from October 1 20014

The UAE’s mandatory technical regulation for drinking water will take effect on October 1, Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, and Chairman of Emirates Standardization Metrology Authority (Esma), announced on Sunday.

The minister made it clear that any drinking water products which don't comply with the UAE Scheme for Drinking Water, approved by the UAE cabinet, and don't carry the Emirates Quality Mark (conformity mark recognised by Esma) will not be allowed into the market.

The new mechanism, he emphasized, is part of Esma's strategy to regulate and monitor products which have direct impact on health, safety of the consumer and the environment and to promote knowledge-based, competitive economy, sustainable environment and integrated infrastructure.

The minister explained that Esma board  had decided to grant an additional six months till October instead of April 1  for the enforcement of the system in response to requests by water producers and suppliers to allow them distribute their stock of drinking water and other imported products which don't carry the Emirates Quality Mark (EQM) in local market.

The new comprehensive control system aims to improve water standards in terms of quality by unifying control mechanisms on drinking water which include production, processing, packaging and distribution.

Bin Fahad told a forum, organised by Esma for 150 producers, suppliers and bottlers of drinking water and associated products, the grace period was granted to avoid any shortage of bottled water supply in the local market and spare these companies any financial loss.

''The UAE Scheme for Drinking Water, prepared by Esma in partnership with other public and private stakeholders on par with international best practices, defines the technical standard requirements for drinking water, and effective control and monitoring mechanisms regarding production, import and distribution processes,'' the minister said.

The minister noted that 154 companies had registered with the system (98 in 2013 and 56 since the beginning of 2014) of which 93 were local companies accounting for 60.4 per cent of the total companies.

He added that eight out of 14 companies applied for the Emirates Quality Mark had been awarded the registration certificates. The remaining 6 were on the final processes of auditing and conformity assessment.

Passengers flying to India must self-declare jewellery, bullion and currency exceeding Rs10,000

New Delhi: The Times of India reported that new customs rules to be implemented from next month will require all passengers flying into India to self-declare currency exceeding Rs10,000, gold jewellery and gold bullion in their possession and also be required to declare number of baggage, including hand-carried baggage, while entering into India. 

The Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations of 2014 require an Indian citizen to fill up the immigration form only when he or she goes out of the country. Indian citizens returning from abroad are not required to fill up the form, it added.The rules will kick in on March 1, according to a finance ministry notice dated February 10.

Gold mules, duty fraud

The new form will ask for details different from the immigration card (detachable perforated strip) currently in use, with new fields added to declare dutiable and prohibited goods.

The move is aimed to help airport authorities check customs duty fraud. More importantly, it will keep tabs of gold jewellery and bullion being brought into the country, say officials.he Indian government has raised the ante on passengers who work as gold mules. India, the world’s second-biggest gold importer after China, imposed further controls on domestic gold consumption, raising import duty on bullion from 8 per cent to 10 last year.

The gold import curbs and increased taxes dried up demand after Indians went on a gold buying spree following a slump in world gold prices in April last year – which blew a bigger hole in the country’s current-account deficit and led to rupee’s slide. A lion’s share of India's gold demand comes from imports, denominated in dollars.

Earlier, it was announced that all passengers arriving at the country’s 19 international airports must fill out a new detailed customs form starting January 1, 2014. It was not immediately clear if the January 1 target had been moved to March 1.

Now, the form will ask in-bound passengers to specifically declare prohibited goods and dutiable items, including gold jewellery, gold bullion and Indian currency exceeding the permitted limit.

Indian Customs allow male passengers to carry gold worth up to Rs50,000 (Dh3,400) and female passengers twice as much. The currency limit for Indian citizens is set at Rs7,500 (Dh510). Non-resident Indians can take foreign exchange, but they have to declare amounts exceeding $5,000 or equivalent or when the aggregate value of foreign exchange (banknotes, travellers cheques) exceeds $10,000.

“For the first time, travellers would be asked to specifically declare any prohibited articles, gold jewellery (over free allowance), gold bullion and Indian currency exceeding Rs10,000 in the new form,” the report said, quoting an unnamed official.

Other details

Moreover, the passport number must be mentioned on the new form -- a detail not required earlier -- as well as countries visited by a passenger in the past six days, the report said.

“Old fields like declaration of satellite phone, foreign currency exceeding $5,000 or equivalent, aggregate value of foreign exchange including currency exceeding $10,000 or equivalent, meat, meat products, dairy products, fish or poultry products and seeds, plants, fruits, flowers and other planting material have been retained in the new format,” it said.

Dubai Police radar limit on major roads

As traffic conditions continue to plague daily commuters across Dubai, the statistics paint a grim picture with excessive speeding resulting in 42 traffic accidents, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuring another 35 in 2013 alone.To avoid further confusion, Dubai Police released an updated list of speed limits on major roads across the emirate, along with the radar setting speed that will have you facing a heavy fine if crossed.

Major highways, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, Hatta Road, the Lahbab Road and the Aweer-Lahbab Road, all have a maximum speed limit of 120kmph.

The radar setting for these roads have been set at 141kmph, the speed following which your car will be captured on camera.


For a complete list of road speed limits, see the table below.

UAE to launch mobile phone services for visit visas, domestic help cards and passport renewal

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior will soon offer services via smart phones to renew passports, 30-day and 90-day visit visas, as well as domestic workers card and entry permits among other services, a senior official said Monday.
Major General Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said the Ministry of Interior launched 169 electronic services through its website, and 30 smart services via mobile phones.
“The services offered in the first phase include vehicle registration renewal, payment of fines through mobile phones and the Ministry of Interior’s website without having to visit the relevant service centre,” Al Raisi said.
He added work was under way to add the passport renewal service for mobile phones in the coming days, in addition to the 30-day (short term visits) and 90-day visit visas (long term visits) service, the domestic workers card and entry permit and other security services.
The Ministry of Interior will be achieving full automation of the 339 services it offers through smart phones or through its website by the end of the year, in addition to the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Interactive Messaging Services,” Al Raisi said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed issues new decree on Dubai rental increases

In his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued Decree No. 43 of 2013 concerning the percentages of maximum property rent increase that are allowed upon the renewal of tenancy contracts.

The Decree states that there should not be any rent increase if the rent of the property unit is less than 10 per cent of the average rent of a similar property in the same residential area. If the rent value is between 11 and 20 per cent less than the average rent of a similar property, the maximum rent increase shall be equal to 5 per cent of the rent value.

Additionally, if the rental value of a unit is between 21 and 30 per cent less than the average rent of a similar unit, the maximum rent increase shall be equal to 10 per cent of the rental value.

If the rental value of a property is between 31 and 40 per cent less than the average rental of a similar property, the maximum rent increase shall be equal to 15 per cent of the rental value. A maximum rent increase of 20 per cent is applicable if the rental value of a property unit is less than 40 per cent or more of the average rent of a similar unit.

The Decree applies to landlords from the public and private sectors in the emirate of Dubai including private development areas and free zones.

Article III of the Decree states that the average similar rental value of the property is determined by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency's (Rera) rent index.

The Decree is effective from the date of issuance and shall be published in the Official Gazette.

Health insurance made mandatory for all citizens in Dubai

The long-anticipated health insurance law of Dubai has been approved. From next year, health insurance will be mandatory for all citizens, residents and visitors to Dubai.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday approved the Health Insurance Law which stipulates rules and regulations for all parties involved in provision and implementation of health insurance in the emirate.

The fundamental basis of the law is to ensure that every national, resident and visitor in Dubai has essential health insurance coverage and access to essential health services.

“The law is fundamental to ensure smooth delivery of essential health insurance to everyone living in the Emirate, which roughly means over three million people, including nationals and residents with Dubai visas,” said Issa Al Maidoor, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

“It will not be possible to be in the emirate without health insurance. Residents will not get a visa without health insurance,” he added.The law stipulates the roles and responsibilities of all the stakeholders involved in the provision and implementation of health insurance.

While the government will be responsible for health insurance of UAE national, employers will be responsible for all their employees. Domestic workers will not be excluded from this scheme, the DHA emphasised.

Spouses of residents in Dubai must be insured by the sponsor of the spouse and not by the employer of the sponsor.  Visitors to Dubai will get health insurance upon entering the country.  Two million people are currently not insured, according to DHA estimates.

“We would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and we are committed to fulfill his vision and ensure that every individual in Dubai has access to essential health coverage. Health insurance is a form of security and it is important for every individual to know that if he needs access to healthcare, it is easily available,” said Al Maidoor.Essential health coverage means insurance that ensures access to basic healthcare. At the same time, it should not put a burden on the employer, explained Haidar Al Yousuf, Director of Health Funding at the DHA.

Although emergency  and surgical services and maternity care will be included in the basic package, dentistry will not be on the list of essential health care services. “It is a smartly designed package, providing for basic services. Obviously, it does not include luxury services like cosmetic treatment. It provides the patient with basic needs,” Al Yousuf said.

Preventive health care, which has been the blind spot of health insurance, is not part of the basic package, but this is likely to change with the introduction of this law.

“We definitely encourage more and more preventive care to be provided by insurance companies. As the insurance market becomes more mature, companies are expected to stay with insurance companies longer. Insurance companies may then feel comfortable to provide preventive benefits,” said Al Yousuf.

Insurance companies will be permitted to offer competitive packages, with an expected average price tag of Dh600. Companies may also offer varying co-payment possibilities.  However, there is a minimum requirement for the co-payment cap, explains Al Yousuf.

“The co-payment cap is the maximum amount that the patient pays out of the pocket. Anything above this amount should be paid by the insurance company. The minimum requirements of this cap have been made clear to the insurance companies. Currently, there are more than 40 insurance companies approved by the DHA, and the details of the basic packages have already been communicated with these companies. They will be announcing their packages soon,” the DHA said.

Sustainable health care

The health insurance law rests on two pillars. Apart from providing residents with access to basic healthcare, it develops an effective and sustainable health financing system, says the DHA .

“Depending on the insurance companies’ policies, health care will be available at public as well as private hospitals. Public hospitals will act as private hospitals in providing health care to insured patients. The idea is that patients are not bound by financial considerations when selecting the health care of their choice. They will be able to select the services they find most attractive,” explained Al Yousuf.

“We looked at some of the worlds’ best practices and some regionally applied systems. Of course we want the best health care system. What is unique about this law is that it does not only provide access to health care services, but it also ensures quality of these services.

“All parties will be encouraged to perform slightly better, and the results of this will be published. This transparency will guarantee that the focus of health care is on quality, and not only on price,” he added.

The law will go into effect 60 days after signing of the law, but the implementation is expected to be done over a period of two and a half years in phases.  All parties will be expected to comply with the law within a year.

Though details of insurance responsibilities are to be announced to the public soon, some highlights were announced by the DHA on Tuesday.

Residents

For residents in Dubai, the law stipulates the responsibility of the employer to provide with the minimum of a basic health insurance package based on their current health insurance policy.

In doing so, the company must bear the full costs of the procedure and these costs may not be deducted from the beneficiaries.  It is expected that of the total amount spent on salaries, 1.5 per cent will be spent on the insurance scheme providing the basic health insurance coverage, explained Al Yousuf.

As the insurance coverage is linked to residency, companies are obliged to show sufficient evidence of insurance coverage when residence visa are to be renewed.

The insurance contract may not always cover the same period as the residency period. If it happens that due to this the employee is not covered by health insurance and medical treatment is required, the company must bear the full costs of the healthcare services provided.

UAE nationals

UAE nationals will receive insurance cards to replace the existing Dubai Health Authority (DHA) health cards that provide coverage for healthcare services and preventive care. “They will continue to have access to all current healthcare services provided by the DHA and various private healthcare providers,” said Al Yousuf.

Visitors

On entering Dubai, the visitor will be required to purchase health insurance. “The costs of this health insurance package will be very low, covering only emergency cases,” said Al Yousuf.

The costs of this health insurance coverage will be included in the costs of a visa, explained Al Maidoor. “We do not want to duplicate the procedure, we want to simplify it,” he said.

Violations

Violators of the Health Insurance Law  will be fined a minimum of Dh500 and a maximum of Dh150,000. If the violator repeats the violation in the same year, the fine will be doubled, although the fine may not exceed Dh50,000.  In addition to the fine, the DHA may issue a warning and suspend the company’s health insurance activities within the emirate for not more than two years, or cancel the health insurance permit. The violation may also result in civil or criminal cases.

Get Dubai immigration token sitting at home - The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai and Du signed MOU

No more do you have to wait in long queues at the Department of Immigration and Naturalisation in Dubai as 'smart queuing' will become a reality.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai and Du signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Gitex Technology Week 2013, to develop a smart app, among other areas, to simply a visit to the Directorate.
Smart queuing will be realised through time slots that can be booked by people who plan to visit the Directorate.
In order to get a token, you must select the purpose for which you plan to visit the Department, explained an official. Based on the number of people who have booked a time slot before you, you will be given a timeslot during which you are expected to visit the Department.
The timeslot can only be given on the same day of the request, and a new smart queue will be formed every day.
"This means you should be able to come to the Department on the same day, otherwise you should not book the time slot," said the official.

"We already have a queuing system in place, but the app enables customers to get a token for the queue online," explains Colonel Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, General Director of the E-services Sector.

"The estimated time slot is based on the calculation of the average time each request is handled with. This is different for each service required, but it is never longer than 3 minutes."

Apart from the token, a general list of requirements will be provided based on the request, which will help customers prepare better for their visit to the Department.

The same information is available on the website, and customers can call the customer service desk to inquire about the required documents if they are not sure, said the Colonel.

“We are proud to support the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, by making the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai a smart establishment, with full m-government accessibility for everyone within the UAE,” said Major General Al Marri, Director of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to make our customers’ interactions even more streamlined, by rolling out various features that will add to their experience in a positive way.”

Expatriates with traffic fines cannot leave UAE

 Expatriates who have committed road offences will not be allowed to leave the UAE unless they pay all their traffic fines in line with new Interior Ministry measures.

The ministry said the new rules would be later expanded to cover all other financial obligations by expatriates seeking to cancel their visa and leave the country.

“We have linked procedures to cancel visas for expatriates with the payment of all their traffic fines.This step is intended to ensure departing expatriates will pay all their financial dues to the state,” said Brigadier Rashid Sultan Al Khadr, Director, Legal Affairs Department at the Interior Ministry.

“This is just a first step as it affects only individuals who apply for visa cancellation and must now pay their traffic fines. The ministry is also considering expanding this experience in the near future so all visa and immigration procedures will be linked to payment of all dues, including traffic, civil defence and other fees,” he told the Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emarat Al Youm.

Khadr said the computer systems of the traffic police have already been linked to those in all immigration departments in the UAE.“This means no application for visa cancellation by expatriates will be approved and they will not be allowed to leave the UAE unless they pay all their traffic fines.”

He said the new measures are part of an overall plan designed to cope with what he described as “the new developments and changes”, adding they would help bolster security for people and protect the country’s rights.

According to Emarat Al Youm, drivers in the UAE committed around 1.95 million traffic offences in the first quarter of 2013.

Dubai visit visa on your mobile-- DNRD

Dubai’s Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) says its mobile application will soon enable residents to apply for a visa using their mobile phones.

Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of the Directorate told  that certain services of the DNRD have been operational on the e- platform for quite a while now.

Col Khalid Nasser Al Razouqi, Assistant Director-General of e-Service at DNRD who conducted the briefing about the new mobile application said the app is being implemented in two phases.

In the first phase, users will only be allowed to renew and cancel visas.

The second phase will incorporate more extensive services like incorporating the complete visa application process through the mobile app and thereby totally avoiding the typing centre.

The  app is being developed by Emartech. ‘Naqadi’ the payment gateway built and managed by Emartech will be incorporated into the application to manage visa payments and other fees and charges of DNRD.

According to Al Razouqi the application should be completely up and running incorporating all features by the end of next year.

Dubai visitors can get entry visa on mobiles now

General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai initiates M-Visa service.According to a report in Gulf Today, people can apply for entry visa on the website of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai and receive the visa as an SMS to their mobile

The new service is part of the smart government initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The paper quoted Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General, GDRFA, as saying that the directorate has applied the mobile visa (M-Visa) service for its residents.

The GDRFA completed 35,100 transactions last year up until the first quarter of this year, Al Marri added.

UAE Cabinet approves regulations for the public revenue

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid chairs the cabinet meeting with (from left) Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Lieutenant- General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

The UAE Cabinet on Sunday approved executive regulations for the public revenue federal law, which aim to increase transparency and enhance the accountability process pertaining to these funds.

“The main goal behind the continuous development of legislations and financial systems aims to establish a foundation and fiscal policies for the ideal usage of public revenue,” said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as he chaired the Cabinet meeting held on Sunday at the Presidential Palace.

The regulations for Federal Law No. 1 of 2011 were approved during the Cabinet meeting also attended by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

The regulations will coordinate fiscal policies, strengthen the capabilities of legislations and financial systems to support the general budget of the UAE, and specifies the rights and jurisdictions of federal bodies for collecting fees and revenues.

The regulations also aim to monitor revenue collection to achieve transparency in these funds. The regulations specify a mechanism for returning revenues, and mandates bodies to implement strategies to develop sources of public revenue.

UAE asked to deny housemaid visas to Nepalese women under 30

The South Asian country banned women younger than this from taking these jobs in the Arabian Gulf in August last year following claims of abuse.
But there is no such ban under UAE law and visas can still be issued.Many young Nepalese women have reported being lured to the UAE with the false promise of jobs but were abused and illegally hired out for a few thousand dirhams by unscrupulous agents.
The embassy will emphasise its ban in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.“The Nepalese Embassy in Abu Dhabi will reiterate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that, if they want to help the government of Nepal, please don’t issue housemaid visas to any Nepalese girl who is below 30,” said the ambassador, Dhananjay Jha.
“The embassy has previously written to the ministry about the matter and it will again reiterate them to mutually resolve our people’s grievances.”
The embassy is also calling for domestic workers to be governed by labour laws rather than come under the protection of the Ministry of Interior.
The move is part of talks between the Nepalese government and all GCC countries over the rights of domestic workers.
“Housemaid affairs are dealt with only by the immigration departments in the UAE, as well as in other GCC and Arab countries, but all labour-sending countries urge labour-receiving countries, particularly in the GCC region, to include domestic workers’ – especially housemaids’ – affairs into the labour laws,” Mr Jha said.
“We want the provisions of the ILO [International Labour Organisation] to be implemented on housemaids.

“I have raised the issue with the director general of the UAE Foreign Ministry and also raised the issue in Colombo Process [a management of overseas employment organisation in Asia] that housemaid matters should come under the labour laws.

“The major labour-sending countries are telling the GCC countries that any domestic workers, male or female, should come under labour laws.”
There are about 160,000 Nepali citizens working in the UAE, many of them housemaids.The embassy repatriates between 90 and 100 women a year and is currently sheltering 11 housemaids.

Each of them, aged between 19 and 26, came to their sponsor through unscrupulous agents, who had been paid illegal fees of between Dh7,000 and Dh9,000. The women were paid between Dh500 and Dh900 a month.

They are recruited as cleaners by agents for immigration purposes and to avoid the age rules. But the visa applied for in the UAE is that of a housemaid.Once in the country, the girls are sold to the highest bidder, and some sponsors are abusive.

Mr Jha said it was practically a full-time job for an embassy official to visit police stations and immigration departments to help victims.“They [the girls at the embassy] were mistreated, denied wages, overworked, had inappropriate language directed at them, sexually harassed, then fled from the clutches and sheltered at the mission to get repatriated,” Mr Jha said.

He cited the example of two “very beautiful” young ladies, who had to be repatriated after their sponsor started harassing them for sex.

Another maid was sent home after her hands were burnt with cigarette butts. Mr Jha stressed that his government had cracked down on agents in their country. Rules had also been tightened for workers going overseas to be cleaners.

The introduction of the housemaid age restrictions last year came 18 months after the Nepalese government had to end a 12-year ban on women working in Arabian Gulf countries over human rights issues.

The ban had been in place after a young, abused woman committed suicide in Kuwait, sparking outrage in Nepal. 

Illegal car lift Dh5,000 fine-Dubai’s Roads and transport Authority

Car lifts, unregistered taxis, or carpooling against payment: these seem like the perfect solutions in the face of a young public transportation system. But they are not perfect – these services are illegal, and can land you with hefty fines and even a jail term.
Dubai’s Roads and transport Authority (RTA) maintains a strict policy when it comes to illegal car rides. “Motorists using private vehicles as taxis and those offering car-lift services will face fines and deportation,” it has warned in the past.
“Motorists caught offering such service will be fined Dh5,000. Second-time offenders will be fined Dh10,000. And those who commit the offence twice in a year will be handed over to the police and deported,” was the warning.
But this does not seem to scare away commuters from trying alternatives to public transportation. Car lifts, especially, are a popular service, suiting the needs of many who travel on a daily basis, but do not have a car.

“For me, it is a very good solution. My colleague picks me up on his way to work, and I pay him an amount of money per week to share the gas. It is a fair deal to me,” says H.K., a Syrian working and living in Dubai.

“I have a standard driver. I pay him an amount of money per month. And whenever I need him, I can call him to go wherever I want. He is reliable and will always come,” says I.K., an Indian man working and living in Dubai.
A quick search on one of the classifieds websites in the UAE will result in many options. There are those offering the service between two particular places, and those who offer to drive wherever you need. For every location in Dubai, there seems to be an option.

However, this is exactly what the inspectors do. A Pakistani driver tells how he was fooled by an inspector and caught: “I was offering car lift services from International City on a classifieds website. One day I was contacted by a man, who wanted a car lift to Dubai Media City. Once I met him, he identified himself as an inspector. I was fined Dh4,000.”

Another driver says how he was followed by an inspector last Friday after he had picked up his customer. “I stopped over at a bus stop to meet the person I was supposed to give a car lift. As soon as I took off, I was followed by a car. I was pulled over and fined Dh4,000 for providing an illegal car ride. I was also warned that next time I was caught, my driving license would be confiscated,” says the Indian.

The rules are such to protect people from allowing potential criminals inside the car, as passengers may be exposed to theft or face other risks.

The Central Bank plans to introduce the direct debit payment system to the UAE by June 15

But bankers warned that the UAE must press ahead with plans for a credit bureau if the direct debits are to fully replace security cheques carrying criminal liabilities for bounced payments.

All of the UAE's banks and finance companies are to adopt the service, which allows borrowers to fund repayments from their bank account when instalments are due."The facility is designed to eliminate the need to sign several post-dated cheques for instalments upon obtaining a loan," said the Central Bank in a statement. "The benefit for account holders is that they can plan their expenses more efficiently."

The system, which covers mortgages, personal loans and credit cards, is part of a federal government strategy that involves "adopting technology to enhance electronic systems and improve services to banking customers in the UAE", the statement added.

"Given our focus as a regulator we believe it is necessary to have a prudent, stronger and stable economy. Our current intention is to establish a more convenient retail banking system that will create more stable and progressive economic development," the Central Bank said.
In November that the Central Bank was in the midst of trials of its direct debit system to address the 1.4 million cheques that failed at the point of use during last year, representing one in every five used.
The invalid payments were worth Dh46.8 billion (US$12.74bn), according to the Central Bank's data, and although the data do not differentiate between cheques that fail for technical reasons and those that bounce, banks and ATM vendors say there are no major issues with the UAE's cheque-clearing technology.

Bouncing a cheque is a criminal offence, although a presidential decree in October immunised UAE nationals from serving jail time for writing a bad cheque. Since then, more than 1,000 Emirati defaulters have been released from prison.

The implementation of direct debits would be a step in the right direction towards an end of cheque use, but the creation of a credit bureau is still needed, said Ala'a Eraiqat, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, at the bank's annual general meeting last week.
"It's an operational change, and it definitely brings more efficiency. But will it replace the use of cheques when you sign a loan? Not yet."
The new system would reduce risks in the processing of payments for loan and mortgage instalments, but would not alter the need for better assessment of credit risk, Mr Eraiqat added.

"You can have a much smoother execution," he said."However, the credit bureau will be the real mark in the evolution of lending."
At present, banks use cheques as a method of securing payments as they have no means of assessing a borrower's creditworthiness.
A consensus has emerged during the past year that the UAE's reliance on criminal penalties to ensure discipline among borrowers is in need of overhaul.
The UAE Banks Federation has been discussing how to proceed with decriminalisation of bounced cheques with the Central Bank, although it has warned that an alternative should be found to ensure that banks are still willing to lend.
Bankers say they expect the long-delayed Federal Credit Bureau to become operational at some point during the third

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan approved New Cabinet

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has approved the formation of the new Cabinet, presented by the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The President wished the new ministers good luck and success, expressing his thanks and appreciation to the ministers for the efforts they exerted in serving their homeland.

The following is the new list of ministers, headed by the Vice President and Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

•His Highness Lt.-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior

•His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs

•His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance

•His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

•Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development

•Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

•Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation

•Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs

•Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy

•Mariam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs

•Humaid Mohammed Obeid Al Qattami, Minister of Education

•Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health

•Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Labour

•Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs ( Minister of Federal National Council of Affairs )

•Dr. Hadef Jowan Al Dhahiri, Minister of Justice

•Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water

•Suhail bin Mohamed Faraj Fares Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy

•Abdullah bin Mohamed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Public Works

•Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs

•Dr. Maytha Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State

•Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State

•Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State

•Abdullah bin Mohammed Ghobash, Minister of State