This was stated by Brigadier Mohammed Salim bin Awaida Al Khaily, Director of Naturalisation and Residency at the Interior Ministry, following a presentation of the e-services and solutions.
The presentation was also attended by Colonel Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director-General of Central Operations, Abu Dhabi Police, Lt-Colonel Khalid Lootah, Supervisor of Naturalisation and Residency Information Systems and Rashid Al Mansouri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Committee.
''The e-services and solutions system come in response to instructions by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, on development and improvement of federal work performance via e-systems that help expedite and simplify procedures and ease burden on both the people and employees,” he said.
He said Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, is personally following up phases of implementation of this unique project seen as the first of its kind in the region, if not in the world.
The e-package, he explained, will offer services and solutions to UAE nationals, expatriate residents, and the public and private sectors. Under the e-system, different naturalisation and residency applications would be submitted through the Internet and UAE embassies abroad.
He added the new cost-effective and timely mechanism would streamline procedures to be carried out by clients, upgrade quality of performance, reduce mistakes that were done by paper work, and process transactions promptly without additional operational costs.
Colonel Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations, Abu Dhabi Police, disclosed that a customer service centre would be inaugurated next week. He said the a round-the-clock centre would provide all information required for various transactions and answer enquiries of clients through a unified number all over the country.
He disclosed that the Interior Minister had demanded that the e-services and solutions network be equipped with high security features. The e-network deploys auto monitors (OCR) at all border checkpoints to boost security measures and detect any forgeries in travel documents. Under the new e-package, he said long queues of clients would be a thing of the past as the employee will process 2000 transactions daily instead of only 100 by the traditional system. Mistakes, which sometime reached up to 46 per cent, will be reduced considerably.
On payment of fees, he indicated that the new system offers many options whether through smart credit cards, e-Dirham, banking transfers and deduction from the client's bank account by the accredited bank. ''Clients can also enquire about their transactions through the SMS, e-mail or auto-answer machine,'' he said. On his part, Lt-Colonel Khalid Lootah, Assistant director of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency for Information Technology, said the e-system allows diplomatic missions accredited in the country to submit visa applications online to the interior ministry and likewise UAE embassies abroad can avail of this facility.
''The new e-services and solutions will also be available at shopping malls, petrol pump stations, cooperatives for the convenience of clients to follow up their transactions wherever they are,'' he explained.
Rashid Al Mansouri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Committee, asserted that the ministry had come a long way in its drive towards achieving a complete e-government.
Quelle: Khaleej Times, 05.04.2006
