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All can learn from ‘five star’ service centres: Mohammed
All can learn from ‘five star’ service centres: Mohammed (Wam) / 27 February 2014 Shaikh Mohammed unveils plaque at Ministry of Education Shaikh Mohammed unveils the ‘five-star’ plaque at the Ministry of Education office in Dubai on Wednesday as Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Humaid Mohammed Al Qattami look on. — Wam His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has stressed that the government service centres, which recently scored the five-star rating, are open for all to learn from their experiences since the government is one team, where all learn from each other and compete in the interest of the government. Shaikh Mohammed made the remarks while touring the service centre at the Ministry of Education in Dubai to unveil the five-star plaque attained by the centre in accordance with the results of the rating of government service centres. The event was attended by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Shaikh Mohammed said the education sector deserves better services from the ministry — not less than five stars. He toured the centre, which provides 12 main government services. It handled over 11,000 transactions and received 14,000 phone calls last year. Shaikh Mohammed thanked the officials, citing their self-denial as an example. He said, “Real success lies in continuous and non-stop develop-ment and determination.” The project to evaluate the service centres launched by Shaikh Mohammed is expected to bring about a quality shift in the efficiency of government services and catapult them to the international standards. The mandatory rating process will continue until the end of this year to evaluate all customer service centres so as to assess their quick response to clients. The UAE is world’s first country to adopt the rating system of the government service centres in accordance with integrated frame-work of standards similar to those implemented at hotels, banks and aviation companies. The others present included Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs; Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education; Musbeh bin Rashid Al Fattan, Director of the Office of the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director-General of Protocol and Hospitality Department in Dubai. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
UAE, Japan sign MoU on nuclear energy
UAE, Japan sign MoU on nuclear energy (Wam) / 27 February 2014 The deal was signed by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed shakes hands with Fumio Kishida as General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Shinzo Abe applaud during a signing ceremony at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Wednesday. — AP General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday witnessed the signing ceremony of a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The two sides signed the schedules on amending the Air Services Agreement between the UAE and Japan. The deal was signed by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two foreign ministers also signed a MoU on the development of joint cooperation committee work between the UAE’s Ministry of Development and International Cooperation and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It aims to boost joint cooperation and understanding over the implementation of international development initiatives and international aid in areas of interest and concern. The UAE Energy Minister, Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, and Japan’s Minister owf Economy, Trade and Industry, Toshimitsu Motegi, signed a MoU on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the UAE. Abdullah Saeed Al Darmeki, CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, and Hiroshi Takada, Chairman and CEO of Small and Medium Enterprise and Regional Innovation in Japan, signed an agreement on extension and amendment of the MoU between them. General Mohammed meets Japanese Emperor General Shaikh Mohammed also met Emperor Akihito of Japan at Tokyo Imperial Palace during his official two-day visit. During the meeting, General Shaikh Mohammed conveyed the greetings of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the Japanese Emperor, wishing him good health and happiness and continued progress and prosperity for the friendly people of Japan. The Emperor of Japan welcomed the visit of General Shaikh Mohammed and his accompanying delegation, commending the cooperation between the two countries in many areas and the “strong historical ties of friendship” between the two countries that are “continuously developing and growing”. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan listens to Emperor Akihito during a luncheon at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday. — AP Emperor Akihito asked General Shaikh Mohammed to convey his greetings to Shaikh Khalifa, wishing the UAE government and people further progress, prosperity and development. He lauded the care given by Shaikh Khalifa in developing cooperation and boosting the march of friendly relations between the two countries to new heights of understanding and cooperation. ‘ Emirati students abroad are UAE ambassadors’ General Shaikh Mohammed received 52 UAE scholarship students currently studying in a number of Japanese universities at his residence in Tokyo. He was briefed on the academic disciplines of students and their living conditions in Japan. He urged them to achieve academic success in their endeavours to contribute to the process of building the UAE. He stressed that Emirati students abroad are ambassadors for their country and should reflect the positive image of the UAE. The country, he said, looks towards its sons abroad to contribute with their expertise in the march of progress and prosperity. “The UAE, its leadership and people are hoping for much from you; you are a wealth for the nation’s homeland and its future and you are the best successful investment. Through you we can send a message abroad that we have ambitious national cadres,” he said. For their part, the Emirati students expressed their pleasure and pride in meeting General Shaikh Mohamed and pledged to him that they will honour the expectations of the country’s leadership. They promised to get the highest academic degrees, enabling them to participate in the march of progress of the nation. They also expressed their appreciation for everything that is being provided for them in terms of services and support. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
No change in gold allowance to India, says envoy
No change in gold allowance to India: Consulate official Sajila Saseendran / 26 February 2014 The new Customs Declaration Form asks passengers have to specifically declare, prohibited goods and dutiable items, including gold bullion and gold jewellery. The Indian Consulate in Dubai has said that a report in local media on Tuesday, which said passengers flying to India should declare gold and jewellery worth more than Rs10,000, is false and misleading. “These will have to be entered in new customs forms that will replace the dated immigration paperwork that passengers had to fill in the past,” according to the report. It also suggested that the new requirement, which would leave a paper trail, may dissuade expat Indians from buying gold jewellery from Dubai for carrying it to India. The consulate has, however, said the report is wrong and needs to be clarified. “This is really way off the mark. It has to be clarified that the report is wrong and misleading,” an official told Khaleej Times . According to the Indian Central Board of Excise and Customs, the new ‘Indian Customs Declaration Form’, which will come into effect from March 1, requires resident Indians to declare Indian currency at the customs if the value exceeds Rs10, 000. With the introduction of the new form, all passengers also have to specifically declare, prohibited goods and dutiable items, including gold bullion and gold jewellery exceeding the free allowance. The free allowance for gold jewellery remains gold worth Rs50, 000 for males and worth Rs100, 000 for women. The Consulate clarified that passengers need not declare the gold jewellery they carry unless it is above this limit. It may be noted that the new rule has only increased the limit of Indian currency that resident Indians can carry to and out of India (from Rs7,500 to Rs10, 000), while the rule that Non-Resident Indians cannot carry Indian currency remains. Non-Resident Indians and foreigners can carry only foreign currency and need to declare it only if its value exceeds $5,000. They should also make a declaration when the aggregate value of all foreign bills in the form of currency notes, financial instruments, and travellers’ cheques is equal to or exceeds $10,000. The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Central Bank of the UAE had previously highlighted these rules and advised expat Indians and other foreigners to refrain from carrying Indian currency to India, subsequent to reports of confiscation of counterfeit Indian currency. sajila@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
