Because of its transformation into "joint stock companies"

Unable to discuss the development of services of 3 federal entities in "NBK"

NBK received a message that it was not possible to discuss the development of electricity and water services.

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The Federal National Council received a letter from the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs stating that it was not possible to present the Council’s request to discuss the topic of “The Federal Authority’s Strategy for Electricity and Water in the matter of developing electricity and water services for the public”, to the Council of Ministers, for approval, due to the Authority’s transformation into a joint stock company affiliated with an agency Emirates Investment Corporation, while a parliamentary source expected that the Council would receive similar responses regarding two other requests to discuss two issues about developing the services of the Emirates Transport Company and Emirates Post Group, given that they had transformed into two shareholding companies affiliated with the Investment Authority as well.

In detail, the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs delivered an official letter to the President of the Federal National Council, Saqr Ghobash, stating that it was not possible to submit a parliamentary request from members of the Council to discuss a general topic about “the Federal Authority’s strategy for electricity and water in the matter of developing electricity and water services for the public”, to the Council Ministers, to approve it, and to assign the concerned party to discuss it with the Council, citing the reason for the transformation of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority into a joint stock company affiliated with the Emirates Investment Authority.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, issued a decree by Federal Law No. 31 of 2020 regarding the establishment of the Union Water and Electricity Company, to replace the Federal Electricity and Water Authority, and to be wholly owned by the Emirates Investment Authority, and it is managed on commercial and investment bases. It went into effect on December 30th.

The letter, addressed to the council’s chairman, and “Emirates Today” obtained a copy of it, stated that “with reference to the Federal National Council letter No. (A / Mr / 9) regarding a request to discuss the topic (strategy The Federal Authority for Electricity and Water in the matter of developing electricity and water services for the public), according to the text of Article (92) of the Constitution, we inform you that the aforementioned subject has been presented to the Minister of Cabinet Affairs to complete the procedures for presenting it to the Council of Ministers, and the Minister of Cabinet Affairs responded that The issue cannot be presented to the Council of Ministers, due to the issuance of Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2020, which included the transformation of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority into a public shareholding company, owned by the Emirates Investment Authority.

A parliamentary source stated that the letter did not clarify whether the transformation of the authority into a joint stock company would allow the council to discuss the services provided by it as public services, or it would suffice to discuss matters related to its financial and profitability management only, pointing out that this problem was not limited to the Federal Electricity and Water Authority. Only, but there are two other federal bodies that have been transformed into two shareholding companies owned by the investment agency, namely the Emirates Post Group and the Emirates Transport Authority.

His Highness, the President of the State, issued a decree by Federal Law No. (22) of 2019 amending the status of the Emirates General Transport and Services Corporation, to become a public shareholding company, bearing the name 'Emirates Transportation Company', which falls under the umbrella of the Emirates Investment Authority.

Important services for citizens and residents

A parliamentary source told “Emirates Today” that “When the council wants to discuss the level of services provided by any of these three entities (Emirates Transport, Emirates Post, and Electricity and Water), which provide critical services to citizens and residents, is the discussion going through a device Investment, as it is the party responsible for responding, which means that the discussion will turn into a financial issue related to the agency’s investments, while the council is concerned first with the level of services provided by these institutions, or will the officials of these institutions take care of our discussion and respond to questions and inquiries.

He added: “The other problem is whether the Federal National Council has the authority to independently discuss these bodies in terms of their services, even though they have become linked to the investment apparatus?” Stressing that there are three topics that have been adopted by the council’s committees regarding these bodies, and is expected to come The government response to requests for discussion is consistent with the message from the Federal Electricity and Water Authority itself.

- The

government responded to a request by the Council regarding "electricity and water" ... and expectations that the two subjects of "Emirates Post and Transport" will be returned.

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