Abu Dhabi // A senior municipal director said yesterday it was crucial to cut red tape if services for residents were to improve.
"Bureaucracy is always an element of concern and there is always a way of [cutting] bureaucracy," said Ahmed Shareef, the under-secretary of the Department of Municipal Affairs.
He was speaking at the final day of the biannual meeting between the department and the three municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia, or Western Region, which was held on Yas Island.
He said the responsibility to improve services lay with the municipalities' decision-makers.
"Some might think about not changing something because it's been there for so long, but if nobody bothers to change it, who's suffering there? The customer, our residents, at the end of the day.
"We want to overcome bureaucracy and minimise it in our government system."
Mr Shareef said that training programmes for municipal employees were only one aspect of creating a more efficient organisation. "Making changes is not only about knowledge and knowing how to get things done in the municipal sector, it's about accessing that training to make things happen."
He said better services were the department's highest priority, but they could be achieved only if the municipalities addressed deficiencies in the system.
"We want to do things more efficiently, more effectively, in a more timely manner and more professionally because time is a very crucial element here," Mr Shareef said.
He said there were examples of progress, such as the introduction last year of the "e-permits" system. This allows developers applying for building permits to send designs and documents to the relevant authorities electronically. Previously, they had to visit municipality offices in person and submit paper copies.
Mr Shareef noted to the fact that the department now conducts customer service satisfaction surveys across the municipalities via its website, which was set up last December. It runs an English and Arabic site where residents can submit complaints. The site's address is http://dma.abudhabi.ae/en/default.aspx.
Another forward step, Mr Shareef said, had been the department 's mapping of the borders separating Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia. Establishing defined geographical boundaries had helped to resolve jurisdictional disputes.
Mr Shareef said Yas Island was chosen as the venue for the meeting to remind delegates of what the emirate can accomplish through focused direction.
"Yas Island is an example of successful leadership in our country," he said. "It's an example of getting things done when there is the will; how this place can grow from an idea on virgin land into something very innovative."
@Email:mkwong@thenational.ae
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.