His Excellency Mohammed AlGergawi underlines importance of synergy between Federal Government and UAE Armed Forces

His Excellency AlGergawi cited the recent empowerment speech of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan that called for more concerted efforts in achieving the country's sustainable development to ensure a high quality of life for its citizens.

Underlining the UAE government's short and long term priorities, he also provided details on the important initiatives that have been launched so far or are under various stages of progress.

His Excellency AlGergawi's comments came in his address at the military university in Abu Dhabi to members of the Armed Forces , as part of a programme aimed to enhance partnership and cooperation between the Federal Government and the Armed Forces. He particularly thanked His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his commitment in fostering sustained synergy between the government and the armed forces.

Pointing out that most of the country leaders, strategists and academics hail from a military background, he applauded the role of the defence establishment in furthering a substantial part of scientific research.

Moving on to showcase the different stages of the UAE Federal Strategy, His Excellency AlGergawi said the strategy is based on principles and priorities that were identified after in-depth assessments of the major challenges and opportunities in the areas of social development, economic development, justice and safety, infrastructure, , and rural areas.

Following the initial assessment stage, the main strategic objectives for the next three years were developed, which included the drafting of detailed goals, and 444 recommendations for different ministries and federal authorities.

With the hands-on involvement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, the strategy took a more concrete shape. Within a year, he held three 'ministerial retreats' that resulted in 46 strategic and operational plans for ministries and federal authorities, recording a huge success in government management.

Outlining details of the new Federal Government programme, His Excellency AlGergawi said it integrated elements of strategic planning, budgeting and performance management. He informed that each ministry developed a budget based on its strategic plan and formulated a comprehensive performance management system, incorporating 16 common key performance indicators (KPI) alongside department specific KPI's. Regular performance reviews are held, and reports are submitted to HH Sheikh Mohammad for evaluation recommendations.

His Excellency AlGergawi also elaborated on the changes that were made to the Government budget, focusing on the increase in the 2008 budget to Dhs35bn. He also specified budgets for ministries based on their annual and operational plans, and highlighted the government commitment to increasing its financial resources through the development of a UAE Investment Authority.

During his speech, H.E. AlGergawi dwelt on the important economic policies that the federal government has adopted to develop the vital sector. He highlighted the priority of enhancing economic competitiveness and raising the ranking of the UAE on the global index. He also added that practical steps have been taken to form a national competitiveness council for the federal and local governments.

He also outlined the UAE government's direction in positioning the UAE as a major player in global business. Taking this vision forward, HH Sheikh Mohammad has already undertaken a number of strategic foreign visits that resulted in key economic deals, and establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Trade to achive UAE's ambitious commercial objectives.

The importance of morphing the government from a traditional, static one to a dynamic institution that revolves around the citizen was underscored by H.E. AlGergawi. To catalyse this objective, HH Sheikh Mohammad has directed customer satisfaction levels for government performance should not be less than 70% in 2008.

His Excellency AlGergawi also stressed on the significance of increasing productivity in the public sector and reducing financial expenditure. In this regard, the government is re-mapping regulations from the outside, while restructuring government agencies from inside to enhance performance levels and enable effective service delivery.

Emphasising that the UAE government is aiming to evolve among the world's leading governments, he urged the adoption of transparency and advanced communication tools. To this effect, the Cabinet has created a Government Communication Office to strengthen its internal and external communications for conveying a unified government identity, adopt a new motto for the UAE, and standardize applications across all Government channels.

H.E. AlGergawi also focused on the UAE Government Leaders Programme that basis its foundation on best global practices in developing leaders. He said the programme is very close to HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, as it creates a generation of leaders who are vital for the country's progress and prosperity.

In his speech, H.E. AlGergawi reviewed some of the major initiatives implemented by the Federal Government and provided details on new concepts that have been introduced to enhance government efficiency, such as granting financial and administrative independency to federal agencies, and implementing decentralization across government and improve Human Resource Laws and encourage Public Private Partnerships.

Concluding his speech, His Excellency Mohammed AlGergawi thanked members of the Armed Forces for their invitation, and called for more utilization of resources, sharing of information and experiences to achieve the aspirations of the UAE's leadership of the country.