FNC to question the lack of statistics

ABU DHABI // The Minister of State will be questioned in the Federal National Council (FNC) next week about the UAE's lack of centralised statistics.

In Reem Al Hashimi's first appearance in front of the council since the elections in September last year, she will be questioned by Hamad Al Rahoumi (Dubai) on the limited statistics available at the National Centre for Statistics.

"A lot of the information is not there when we ask," he said. He said good data was vital for the council to consider problems such as unemployment. "When you want to do anything in the country, you need statistics, but there are none. That is a big problem."

Instead, he and other FNC members have to approach ministries directly for information. "Even then we still face a problem," he said, with data seldom being provided.

The minister, who is also head of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, will also be asked by Ali Al Nuaimi (Ajman) about what that body is doing to encourage competition among Emiratis.

Mr Al Nuaimi said supporting competition among Emiratis was essential for the UAE's prosperity.

Mr Al Nuaimi will also ask the Minister of Labour, Saqr Ghobash, what he is doing to help the increasing number of Emirati job seekers to enter the workforce.

Salim Al Ameri (Abu Dhabi), will ask the Minister of the Council of Ministers, Mohamed Al Gargawi, how laws can be publicised before being enacted. While laws are deemed to be effective once they have been published in the official gazette, residents often are not warned about their implications, he said, "even though some of them affect them in a direct way".

The session will be open to the public, starting at 9am on Tuesday at FNC headquarters in Abu Dhabi.