Senior Abu Dhabi government officials are required to submit a financial disclosure upon assuming and leaving the position
The Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority reorganization law, issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State in his capacity as Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, required senior government officials and officials of the entities subject to control to submit periodic financial disclosure upon assuming their positions and when they left it for any reason, based on For disclosure system to be issued under the provisions of this law.
The Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority reorganization law constitutes a tangible development in the authority's mandate and powers to keep pace with the significant developments in the emirate's economy, the executive government apparatus, and the practices of corporate governance and institutional discipline.
The law reaffirmed the definition of the agency as the supreme body for financial control and accounting, and stipulated that it enjoys the legal personality and the legal capacity necessary to practice its activities and achieve its goals, as well as financial and administrative independence, and that it is directly subordinate to His Highness the Crown Prince.
The law also expanded the scope of the authority's powers to enhance the effectiveness of control over public funds and the efficiency of financial and operational activities in government agencies and companies in which the government owns 25% of its capital and more, compared to 50% previously, which contributes to ensuring the optimal use of public resources of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The agency’s objectives include working to enhance and consolidate principles of integrity, transparency, accountability and sound management practices in the government and the entities subject to control, in order to enhance the emirate’s reputation and confidence in its financial and economic system .. It seeks to enhance its ability to combat financial and administrative corruption and establish general principles to enhance corruption risk management and disclosure. And addressing its causes, protecting financial resources and public money, and finally improving the quality of auditing work submitted to bodies subject to the Agency’s control in the Emirate.
The new law provides for the mandate of the accounting authority over the work of supervision and financial auditing of the entities subject to supervision, compared to the focus on financial examination in the previous law.
The law clearly defines the control work and defines it in three main packages that include financial control over all the activities of the subject entities, compliance control and the performance of tasks and activities, and oversight of control systems in order to verify their efficiency and effectiveness in monitoring financial, operational and electronic systems.
The new law redefined the entities subject to the control of the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority and stipulated in its Article 31 that the covered entities include local departments, municipalities, bodies, institutions, councils, general secretariats, offices, police, local security authorities, centers, offices, universities, institutes, funds, markets and public legal persons affiliated with the government, in addition to wholly owned companies From government agencies or companies, directly or indirectly, and companies in which the government, government agencies or companies contribute more than 25% of their capital, as previously mentioned.
In addition to that, the law stipulated for the first time a system for the protection of whistleblowers and witnesses, as the agency undertakes to provide the necessary protection for the whistleblower or witness in accordance with the controls and procedures, which include providing the necessary protection for him at his residence when necessary and in coordination with the security and police authorities in the country.
And according to the law, reporting the agency about financial and administrative corruption violations is not considered a violation of the provisions of legislation and agreements related to disclosure or disclosure of confidential information, whether in the subject authority with which the reporter works or with whom he deals.
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