UAE Ministry of Finance Launches Customer Councils

The UAE Ministry of Finance today announced the launch of the Customer Councils, in line with the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme that aims to eliminate redundant government procedures and requirements, as well as simplify administrative processes.

The UAE Ministry of Finance held its first session in Dubai on Tuesday, with several invitees participating, sharing their experiences in dealing with the Ministry on various topics and services and their level of satisfaction. The customers’ insights are fundamental to the development, innovation, and success of government procedures, which  will lead to an enhanced customer experience.

His Excellency Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, emphasised that zeroing government bureaucracy is an ongoing process. It requires identifying unnecessary procedures and areas where efforts could be better spent, addressing them, and measuring the results and impacts through a new methodology.

He said: “Customers are a priority, especially in zeroing government bureaucracy, because they are the fundamental element in evaluating their experience of government services and procedures. We also recognise the key role of the Ministry’s cadres in this continuous process, because they are the human capital possessing the necessary expertise for success in the journey of development and to boost the level of effectiveness of government procedures. Our people are also the face of the Ministry, having direct relationships with customers, across several stages of services and procedures.”

His Excellency added: “Initiatives under the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme are expected to impact individuals, the private sector, the adopting institutions, and their employees. Hence, we look forward to the results of the Customer Councils, which we believe will yield valuable outcomes, significantly contributing to the success of zeroing bureaucracy.”

The UAE Ministry of Finance, in a collaborative effort with the private sector and individuals, aims to learn about their opinions on a number of topics and services. This is through the Customer Councils initiative, which holds virtual and in-person sessions. This encourages all segments of customers to participate in the decision-making process, and later examine proposals, analyse them, and implement ideas.

The Ministry also organises interactive labs, brainstorming sessions, and design thinking workshops as part of the Zero Government Bureaucracy Interactive Lab. Sessions will be held for stakeholders from the private sector and individuals to present and discuss proposals for developing procedures, and then test solutions and the future state of the initiatives identified within the programme.

The first session of the Customer Councils initiative aims to survey and inventory all procedures, conditions, and requirements in the UAE Ministry of Finance, analyse the current state of unnecessary burdens, collect and evaluate ideas and proposals presented by all targeted categories, and identify the proposed areas for zeroing.

As part of the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, the UAE government tasked ministries and government entities with the immediate implementation of the programme, which includes cancelling a minimum of 2,000 government measures, halving the time required for procedures, and removing all unnecessary bureaucracy.