Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry moves ahead with more E-Services

DCCI inaugurated its official website in 2001 and was one of the first institutions to embrace electronic government in line with the directives of HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence.

Today, DCCI's electronic portal boasts a wide selection of services that have been tailor-made to cater for the growing needs of Dubai's business community, from providing legal and arbitration services to issuing certificates of origin.

"The launch of our website in 2001 was inspired by DCCI's commitment to providing its members with the best services," explains Abdul Rahman Al-Mutaiwee, Director General of DCCI. "We aim to reflect the fast growing number of our members in the services we provide, by developing existing services and establishing new ones. Our new range of e-services saves valuable time and money for DCCI and its members."

He adds: "The Chamber has invested the necessary resources in building e-services. The transition via the Internet is not complete, but we believe that we are on the right track."

There is huge demand for members to obtain certificates of origin online - and DCCI has invested considerable effort to guarantee that the e-services are as user-friendly as possible, enabling companies to obtain their documents quickly.

Recent figures reveal that 40 percent of all certificates of origin issued by the Chamber were done so over the Internet. From January 1 to June 30 2003, DCCI issued a total of 147,999 certificates, 58,899 of which were transacted online.

DCCI's online services are available to all registered members of the Chamber. Following registration, members can join the service by simply logging on to www.dcci.gov.ae to obtain their user account and password.

Ahmed Al Banna, Deputy Director General of DCCI, says: "Since its inception three decades ago, DCCI has assumed a vital role in promoting business activities in Dubai as the recent launch of its new business strategy and the formation of a series of new business groups demonstrate."

Al Banna continues: "In reality, the number of companies belonging to the main branch and which have used the e-services from 1/1/2003 to 30/6/2003 is 559 companies, accounting for 20,212 certificates issued online, which is equivalent to 14% of the total number of certificates issued electronically. Whereas, in Jebel Ali, 447 companies and firms made use of the service, generating 38,226 certificates issued over the Internet, which is equivalent to 26% of the total number of services provided through our website."

He adds: "Every single entry is checked and double-checked and companies are kept informed on the progress of their applications from start to finish. Each company is informed when their certificate is ready for collection."

Eyad Al Kendi, Commercial Documentation Manager at DCCI, has stated that since its launch, the Chamber's website has attracted an increasing number of visitors. From 1/1/2003 to 13/6/2006, the number of visitors to the website reached 1,880,940 hits.

He says: "With the number of companies using the service on the increase, the number of people visiting our branches has reduced meaning that enquiries can be dealt with more quickly. What used to be relatively time consuming, can now be done in a few minutes."

DCCI's website also allows new members to register their company online. And a dedicated 'task force' runs familiarisation programmes and training to ensure members are fully briefed on the services available on the Chamber's portal.

Sumangali Rajan, who works in order processing at DaimlerChrysler's regional logistic centre, endorses the Chamber's online certificate of origin service. "It saves so much time and energy," he says. "DCCI has clearly made a conscious effort to make the service as efficient and effective as possible."

Jerome Camero of Gulf Agency Co. also applauds the service. "The best thing is that we get to know whether our submitted form has been approved before we pick it up. We can therefore inform our clients right away."

The continued success of DCCI's portal relies on feedback from its members as Ahmed Al Banna, Deputy Director General of the Chamber, points out. "DCCI is in constant contact with its members to explore new ways of providing them with a better service," he says.