ABU DHABI // FNC member Salem Al Shehhi is puzzled as to why Emiratis who take out loans with the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme are not receiving a 20 per cent discount for paying them off early.
Mr Al Shehhi, a member for Ras Al Khaimah, said a 2009 law entitled those who paid their housing loans off within 10 years to the 20 per cent discount, but, he said, that had not been happening.
“And if one pays on time he is exempt from 20 per cent,” Mr Al Shehhi said. “However, this has not been activated up to now.
“I came across this during my visits to locals. They kept talking about it as one of the issues troubling them. We want to facilitate things for people.”
He will put the question to Dr Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and head of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme at Tuesday’s FNC session.
Mr Al Shehhi will also ask Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and chief executive of the Federal Authority for Human Resources, about the promotion opportunities for employees with special needs in federal departments.
He said many people with special needs had been recruited and he wanted to know about procedures for their promotion and training.
“They should not all be put in one frame because the disabilities differ,” Mr Al Shehhi said.
“Someone who is in a wheelchair has 100 per cent mental capacity, and he is different to someone who has a slight mental or hearing disability.
“So what can be done to invest in that employee and train him?”
Hamad Al Rahoomi, an FNC member in Dubai, wants to ask Mr Al Hammadi about considerations for workers stuck in heavy fog, after an acquaintance of his died in a road accident two months ago in foggy conditions.
“Fog is a real danger and the losses suffered from its consequences are far more than losses from employees arriving late at work,” Mr Al Rahoomi said.
“Many locals work in Abu Dhabi and live in the Northern Emirates, Dubai and Fujairah. We are talking about thousands of cars that drive at that time.
“During fog there is a real dilemma – whether you will either endanger your life or be late to work.”
The human resources authority needs to provide regulations allowing employees to be late to work in bad weather conditions, he said.
The FNC is also expected to pass a draft amendment to the telecommunications regulations law today.
Ministers will either attend the session or send a written response to questions asked.
If the member is unsatisfied with the written response, they can summon the minister to attend the next session.
hdajani@thenational.ae
