NBK requests setting a timetable for obtaining “housing support” and mechanisms for exempting loans
Al Mazrouei: 86% of citizens own homes at the state level
The NBK adopted, during its session, a number of recommendations during the discussion of the topics of "Policy of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure" and "Policy of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program".
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Suhail Al Mazrouei: "The law of axial weights will soon see the light, as plans for its implementation are being developed with the (Interior) and in coordination with (Union Rail)."
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The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail bin Muhammad Faraj Al Mazrouei, revealed that the percentage of citizens who own housing at the state level reached 86.3% by the end of 2021, noting that the ministry is implementing 9,500 new homes for the families of citizens, during the current year 2022, through the Sheikh Zayed Program for housing.
The minister stressed, during the Federal National Council session, which was held yesterday, to discuss the topics of "the policy of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure" and "the policy of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme", that the ministry has developed a long-term housing strategy that extends to 2040, using artificial intelligence, to forecast needs. Residential and land available in the various emirates of the country.
During the session, the council concluded a number of parliamentary recommendations adopted by the members, the most important of which are “defining clear mechanisms regarding the total exemption of loan repayment, or reducing the housing support premium for those affected by loan holders, or those unable to earn a livelihood, or those referred to the retirement pension, or Senior citizens, and linking this to a specific time period to complete these procedures,” as well as “raising the ceiling of housing grants in line with the rise in building and construction prices, and high inflation rates in the state,” and “setting a period of time for the beneficiary to obtain housing support, whether it is a grant or a loan.” From the date of issuing the final approval decision on the application, taking into account the material changes that may occur in the applicant’s data.
In detail, the Federal National Council, during its 11th session of its third regular session of the 17th legislative term, which was held yesterday, chaired by the Speaker of the Council, Saqr Ghobash, adopted a number of recommendations during the discussion of the topics “Policy of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure” and “Policy of the Sheikh Zayed Program” for housing.”
The recommendations adopted by the Council on the subject of the policy of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure dealt with setting specific standards and indicators to control the axial weights of heavy vehicles, to protect roads from the negative effects of these weights, with the aim of maintaining road sustainability through the use of modern methods, such as artificial intelligence.
The recommendations included preparing a unified guideline to maintain the sustainability of all government, commercial and residential buildings, in line with the country's 2030 sustainable development goals.
While the council recommended, during discussing the subject of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program’s policy, to add an item in Cabinet Resolution No. (61) for the year 2021 regarding the executive regulations for the conditions and controls for providing housing assistance, to include specifying a period of time for the beneficiary to obtain housing support, whether it is a grant or A loan from the date of issuance of the final approval decision on the application, taking into account the material changes that may occur in the applicant’s data. The Council also called for amending the executive regulations regarding the terms and controls for providing housing assistance in relation to the system of deduction of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program for housing support, so that it suits the income of the beneficiary and its deductions, and defining clear mechanisms regarding the total exemption from repayment of the loan, or the reduction of the housing support premium for those affected by loan holders, or those who were unable to earn a living, or those referred to the retirement pension, or senior citizens, and linking this to a specific period of time to complete these procedures, Increasing the number of housing decisions related to housing grants,Raising the ceiling of housing grants in line with the rise in building and construction prices, and the high inflation rates in the country.
In response to the interventions of council members during the discussion of the topic, the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail bin Muhammad Faraj Al Mazrouei, confirmed that the ministry is implementing 9,500 new homes for the families of citizens, during the current year 2022, through the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, noting that the proportions of citizens who own housing are on At the state level, it reached 86.3% by the end of 2021, making the country among the highest rates in the world.
The minister revealed that the ministry has developed a long-term housing strategy, extending to 2040, using artificial intelligence, to predict housing needs and available land in the various emirates of the country, noting that the ministry has communicated with thousands of beneficiaries of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, and listened to their various observations regarding the design of Housing, and the Ministry has identified 100 housing design models, beneficiaries can choose any of them according to what suits them.
The minister pointed out that the ministry is fully keen to take into account all the observations and advice received from the Traffic Council of the Ministry of Interior regarding road safety in new projects, noting that the law on pivot weights will see the light soon, as plans for its implementation are being developed with the Ministry of the Interior, and in coordination with the Union Company. For trains, especially since some local authorities requested a deadline to change the system.
With regard to the issue of deductions and exemptions from the payment of housing loans for the program, the minister stressed that the state is keen that the deduction percentage from the beneficiaries’ salaries should not be higher than the state’s, especially since the deduction is treated as a percentage, meaning that the amount deducted from the beneficiary decreases if his salary decreases. , stressing that the ministry has never stopped receiving requests for reduction or exemption from beneficiaries, and is periodically keen to present them to the Council of Ministers to take the necessary action in this regard.
The minister said: "The past period witnessed a decrease in the rate of dealing with requests for housing within the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, as a result of the process of merging the Ministries of Energy and Infrastructure, and financial governance to monitor budgets, but we promised the Council of Ministers to address this process within three years, as it will be completed 3000 residences for citizens, waiting lists will be processed, and taking into account the situation of citizens who have been waiting since previous periods, we are trying to cover all the accumulated requests, and at the same time deal with the largest number of current requests, and there are challenges, including limited land in many emirates, "pointing to That 25% of the construction achievements witnessed by the program, were completed in the last five years.
With regard to future plans to raise the value of housing support for citizens, the minister stated that the law set a maximum subsidy of 800,000 dirhams, and the ministry has no right to violate the newly established law, but the ministry has a strategy to reduce the cost of construction, which will be presented to the Emirates Infrastructure Council And housing, adding that «there are challenges facing the housing grants file, we decided to study them with the government, and develop a plan and solutions to address them, including raising the cost of building complexes, and the solution we reached with the Ministry of Finance is to exempt the grant holders who obtained housing from paying any differences. The cost, and several options have been developed for the borrowers, including building a house on the land for an amount not exceeding 800,000 dirhams, and there are those who wish to obtain these housing, which is an option and not a compulsion, and we are committed.”
The minister stressed that the ministry completely separates between loans and grants, revealing that the opportunity for citizens benefiting from the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program to obtain two loans will not exist in the new strategy of the ministry, but rather there will be one loan from the bank.
He said: “The beneficiary citizen, if his salary decreases to less than 15,000 dirhams, has the right to apply for grants, and his name will be submitted to the competent authority, and all requests in the system will be processed within two or three years, and everyone will get his role from the former during the first session that It includes the consideration of 13,000 decisions.”
• 9,500 new homes for the families of citizens during the current year 2022 through the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program.
• A recommendation to prepare a unified guideline to maintain the sustainability of all governmental, commercial and residential buildings.
• Exempting grant holders from paying housing cost differences, and setting options for borrowers, including building a home for an amount not exceeding 800,000 dirhams.
housing rental grant
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail bin Muhammad Faraj Al Mazrouei, responded to a question about the possibility of allowing real estate to be mortgaged for housing the grant, for beneficiaries who obtained a housing loan and were referred to retirement, saying: “Leasing is not permitted without the approval of the Ministry, and this happens in limited cases, including That the person is sent outside the country for a period of one or two years, serves the country in another place, has conditions, and some matters related to working with and coordinating with the localities, and what will be presented to the Emirates Infrastructure Council.”
With regard to the grant to replace citizens’ housing and the criteria for its disbursement, the minister replied by saying: “Replacement is among the initiatives of the head of state, and the ministry is not a party to this file, and the initiatives of the head of state are independent in its laws and requirements.”
Converting housing loans into “grants”
Member of the Federal National Council, Chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs, Labor, Population and Human Resources, Naama Al-Mansoori, suggested taking quick government measures to convert housing loans into housing grants for citizens, in certain cases.
And she explained in an intervention she addressed to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al Mazrouei, that whether the beneficiary is referred to the retirement pension or is a senior citizen or dies, all are circumstances that prevent commitment to repay the loan, which leads to the beneficiary or the heirs bearing financial burdens that exceed their financial situation.
For his part, the minister responded to the intervention by saying: “Exemption from the payment of housing dues is not within the authority of the ministry in general, but the decision in it is up to the Council of Ministers,” stressing that the government deals with the file of housing grants, exemptions and facilities with absolute transparency, in a manner that serves the interests of citizens.
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