(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The Cabinet has reshuffled the board of the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (Esma) and the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa) and amended the rules of the Social Responsibility Fund, an affiliate of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The decisions were made at a meeting chaired at the Presidential Palace by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to appoint Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State, as Chairperson of the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD). Shaikh Mohammed underscored the need for speeding up the implementation of the government's infrastructure plans in the northern regions. He also stressed that the new governmental legislations need to be flexible enough to keep up with the rapid changes in all spheres.
Speedy implementation of projects and flexible legislations represent the real basis for successful governmental work, according to Shaikh Mohammed.
The new board of Fewa is chaired by Mohammed bin Dhaen Al Hamli, the Energy Minister and its members include Khalid Kalban of Dubal, Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Abdullah Balhaif Al Nuaimi of the Ministry of Public Works, Mohammed Khalfan Al Nuaimi of the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA), Mohammed Thani Juma' Al Maktoum of the Ministry of Finance, Ahmed Mattar Al Mazrouie of Mubadala and Abdullah Mohammed Al Mutawwa of the Ministry of Energy.
The new board of Esma will be chaired by Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water.
The members of the board are Lt. Saif Abdullah Al Shafar, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior; Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy; Sultan bin Hada Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department; Hussain Salim Al Kathiri, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council; Salim Mohammed Mismar of the Dubai Municipality; Alia Mohammed Al Marmoum of the Federal Customs Authority (FCA); Mohammed Al Qamzi, CEO of the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp); and Dr Nawal Al Hosani of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar).
Amendments to the rules of the Social Responsibility Fund include the setting up of "Khadamat" (Arabic for services), a new portfolio to enable the fund to provide direct material support to social security beneficiaries, the appointment of a director-general, the setting up of a Special Committee on Employment of the Disabled as well as diversifying the fund's services to include the reception of support from the public and private sectors. - Wam
In the same context, the Cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a similar committee at the Ministry of Education to draw up executive programmes to ensure that disabled students have equal opportunity access to education at all schools and institutes.
The Cabinet also approved the Ministry of Health's proposal of amendment to the lists of illegal drugs and narcotics.
Also present at the Cabinet's meeting were Lt. General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
