Ministry of Finance Hosts Second "Customer Councils" to Zero Out Government Bureaucracy

• Younis Haji Al Khoori: "Zero Government Bureaucracy" is a transformative program aimed at achieving the UAE Centennial 2071 goals

• Topics discussed include improving customer experience for compliance with international financial organizations, government procurement, and ministry service inquiries

• Adoption of highly efficient business models and the delivery of future-ready, proactive, integrated services

• Public experience evaluated through interactive labs, brainstorming sessions, and design thinking within the "Zero Bureaucracy Interactive Lab" and Customer Councils

• Sessions with business and individual stakeholders to present, discuss, and test proposed solutions and future initiatives

The Ministry of Finance held the second session of the "Customer Councils" initiative, as part of the "Zero Government Bureaucracy" program, recently launched by the UAE government. The event was attended by His Excellency Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Fatima Youssef Al Naqbi, Service Sector, Agent Acting support, and several ministry officials.

Over 80 representatives from the public and private sectors participated in the session, during which the outcomes of the first session were reviewed and the feedback and challenges faced by customers were presented, which were identified during the first customer council held on April 23rd. Subsequently, a number of topics were discussed, including improving the customer experience for compliance services with international financial organization requirements, "government procurement," and "inquiries about ministry services."

The Ministry of Finance aims to survey and map all procedures, conditions, and requirements within the ministry, identify unnecessary efforts and procedures and address them, identify the proposed areas for zeroing, and then measure the results and impacts through a new methodology.

The second session is titled "Designing solutions in partnership with customers," where the customer experience is explored, along with their satisfaction with the ministry's services and ways to improve, develop, and innovate new patterns for government procedures to enhance the customer experience. This is part of an ongoing program aimed at simplifying and reducing procedures, reducing the time required for procedures by at least 50%, and eliminating all repetitive conditions and requirements.

Future generation of services

In his opening remarks, HE 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."

He emphasized that the Ministry of Finance is dedicated to supporting the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, a significant initiative towards achieving the UAE Centennial 2071 goals. The program aligns with the national indicators outlined in the "We the UAE 2031" vision and builds on the smart government initiatives launched by the UAE's leadership in 2013. It also supports the UAE's strategy for designing government services (Services 2.0), introduced last July.

His Excellency further explained that implementing the Zero Bureaucracy Programme at the Ministry of Finance involves assessing public experiences through interactive labs, brainstorming sessions, and design thinking within the "Zero Bureaucracy Interactive Lab." The initiative includes hosting Customer Councils and sessions with stakeholders from the business sector and the public to present, discuss, and test proposed solutions. All segments of society are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes, ensuring that proposals are thoroughly studied, analysed, and implemented.

In conclusion, Al Khoori stressed the importance of continuous communication between the Ministry and its customers, resulting in positive outcomes for individuals, institutions, the private sector, and the business environment in the UAE.

Proposed Ideas

Through the Customer Councils initiative, the Ministry of Finance gathers insights and feedback from customers on various topics and services affecting both the business sector and individuals. This is achieved through both real and virtual sessions designed to enhance participation in decision-making processes. Proposals are then thoroughly evaluated, analysed, and actionable ideas are implemented.

Additionally, the Ministry conducts interactive laboratories, brainstorming, and design thinking sessions within the 'Zero Bureaucracy Interactive Lab.' These sessions involve stakeholders sharing and deliberating on proposals for enhancing procedures, testing solutions, and assessing the future status of initiatives outlined in the program. The Customer Councils initiative aims to comprehensively review and catalogue all procedures and requirements within the Ministry. It involves analysing the current state to identify unnecessary burdens, collecting and evaluating ideas and proposals from all relevant groups, and pinpointing opportunities to eliminate redundancies and streamline processes.

Several customers proposed ideas for enhancing government procurement processes, such as simplifying the design of government procurement reports and analyses, diversifying notification delivery channels on the platform, and introducing a promotional mechanism for suppliers aiming to advertise their products. Additionally, proposals were made to automate contract signings without the need for procurement staff intervention, thereby reducing administrative burdens related to supplier follow-ups and verifications and improving communication mechanisms between relevant authorities for inquiries and complaints about the real economic activities system.

In 2023, following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE government launched the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme. The ambitious program aims to stimulate economic growth, enhance the quality of life for the community, and bolster the competitiveness of various sectors and the business environment.

The UAE leadership has set bold objectives for the program, including eliminating at least 2,000 government procedures, reducing procedural timelines by at least 50%, and eradicating all unnecessary requirements by the end of 2024.

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