UAE's Ministry Of Finance Hosts Second 'Customer Councils' To Enhance Efficiency

The Ministry of Finance recently held the second session of its "Customer Councils" initiative under the "Zero Government Bureaucracy" programme. This event, attended by Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, and Fatima Youssef Al Naqbi, along with several ministry officials, saw participation from over 80 representatives from both public and private sectors.

During the session, outcomes from the first meeting were reviewed. Feedback and challenges faced by customers were discussed, which had been identified during the initial customer council held on April 23rd. Various topics such as improving compliance services with international financial organisation requirements, government procurement, and inquiries about ministry services were also addressed.

The Ministry aims to survey all procedures within its operations to identify unnecessary efforts and address them. The goal is to map out conditions and requirements, propose areas for zeroing bureaucracy, and measure results through a new methodology. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to simplify procedures and reduce processing times by at least 50 percent.

The second session was titled "Designing solutions in partnership with customers." It focused on exploring customer experiences and their satisfaction with ministry services. The aim was to innovate new patterns for government procedures to enhance the overall customer experience.

In his opening remarks, Younis Haji Al Khoori stated, "We are actively working on the series of Customer Councils as part of the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme. We continue to simplify and streamline government procedures, develop services, adopt highly efficient business models, and deliver a future generation of proactive integrated services."

Al Khoori emphasised that this programme aligns with the UAE Centennial 2071 goals and national indicators outlined in the "We the UAE 2031" vision. It builds on smart government initiatives launched in 2013 and supports the UAE's strategy for designing government services (Services 2.0), introduced last July.

Interactive Labs and Stakeholder Engagement

The Ministry implements this programme through interactive labs, brainstorming sessions, and design thinking within the "Zero Bureaucracy Interactive Lab." These activities involve hosting Customer Councils where stakeholders from various sectors can present, discuss, and test proposed solutions.

Through these sessions, all segments of society are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes. This ensures that proposals are thoroughly studied, analysed, and implemented effectively.

Continuous Communication

Al Khoori stressed the importance of continuous communication between the Ministry and its customers. He noted that this leads to positive outcomes for individuals, institutions, the private sector, and the business environment in the UAE.

The Customer Councils initiative gathers insights from customers on various topics affecting both businesses and individuals. Real and virtual sessions enhance participation in decision-making processes. Proposals are then evaluated thoroughly before implementation.

Streamlining Procedures

The Ministry conducts interactive laboratories within the 'Zero Bureaucracy Interactive Lab.' These sessions involve stakeholders sharing proposals for enhancing procedures. They test solutions and assess future initiatives outlined in the programme.

This initiative aims to review all procedures within the Ministry comprehensively. It involves analysing current states to identify unnecessary burdens while collecting ideas from relevant groups to pinpoint opportunities for eliminating redundancies.

The Ministry's efforts through this initiative aim at simplifying processes significantly while ensuring efficiency in service delivery across various sectors.

With inputs from WAM