Federal pay hike in 2013 budget

The UAE has asked its federal ministries to include the recent pay rises for civil servants in the 2013 budget and told them to present their draft budgets before April 15, press reports said on Sunday. 

The Ministry of Finance asked all ministries and other government offices to stick to spending plans to ensure a balanced budget as part of its target to attain a zero deficit in the three-year budget plan for 2011-2013. 

In a statement carried by Emirat Alyoum daily, the ministry also underlined the need for “enforcement of wise and rationalized spending” by the federal departments to ensure a balanced budget and better utilize revenue. 

“The Ministry’s circular to the government departments stressed that the recent gesture by HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to increase the salaries of civil servants must be taken into consideration when preparing their budget drafts for 2013,” said Younus Khoury, Ministry of Finance Undersecretary. 

“All ministries and federal offices are asked to present their budget drafts before April 15,” he said, adding the Ministry is open to any enquiry by those departments regarding the pay rises that took effect in early 2012.