Dubai Customs Advisory Council explores development initiatives
The Dubai Customs Advisory Council has held its second meeting for 2015, headed by H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, and Chairman of the council, in presence of council members and chairmen of business groups.
The meeting highlighted Dubai Customs new initiatives for customs processes development as well as current and future changes, as per the framework to implement Dubai Plan 2021.
Attending the meeting were Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division and Deputy Chairman of the DC Advisory Council, Abdulah Al Khaja, Executive Director of Customer Management Division, council member, Buti Al Jumairi, Executive Director of HR, Finance and Administration Division, council member, Edris Behzad, Client Management Director and rapporteur of the council, in addition to chairmen and representatives of business groups, members of the council.
H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih stressed that ensuring customers happiness comes at the top of DC priorities, in fulfilment of the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Dubai Customs has recently launched Mestanis campaign - stands for (Are You Happy?) - in response to the initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to daily measure the publics happiness and satisfaction with government services, Musabih said.
H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih underscored that the initiatives launched by DC to open more channels of communication with its clients have resulted in increasing DCs client satisfaction which amounted to 91.2% in 2014 compared to 89.2% in 2013, according to a survey conducted by the Executive Council of Dubai Government, in cooperation with an external research company. The rise in client satisfaction took DC from the 13th place to the 11th among medium government departments.
The same survey has showed that employee satisfaction soared from 67.2% in 2013 to 80.4% in 2014, taking DC from the 20th place all the way to the 10th place in one year.
Referring to the preparations underway to accommodate Expo 2020, Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division and Deputy Chairman of the DC Advisory Council, said that the next phase will witness new development initiatives to facilitate and streamline trade flow. These initiatives will be based on the feedback we get from our clients as well as on studies of all suggestions made to ensure state-of-the-art customs services are in place, he said.
The Executive Director of Customer Management Division, Abdullah Al Khaja said that the consultative body is an actual representation of a true public -private partnership that serves common interests. He reiterated that Dubai Customs pays utmost attention to its clients and makes sure to cater to their needs with exceptional customs services.
Deepak Babani, Chairman of Electronics Business Group and CEO of Eros Group, made a detailed presentation on the current situation as well as the prospects of electronics markets in the UAE and the region. He proposed devising a regulatory framework for electronics trade that creates equal opportunities for all investors in this sector, in addition to putting forth legislation and laws to attract more local and global investments to the emirate.
Some of DC officials made presentations to introduce the attendees to the free trade agreement between the EFTA states (the Republic of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the Swiss Confederation) and the member states of the GCC, the Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets and the online VCC (Vehicle Clearance Certificate) facility within DC.
Members of the DC Advisory Council praised the institutions commitment to review and implement ideas voiced by the members. On the other hand, H.E. Ahmed Mahboob urged members to bring forth valuable ideas that help develop cost and time efficient customs services.
