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No health check for commercial licences

A decision to this effect has been released by Shaikh Mohammed bin Butti, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Municipality and Town Planning Department.

The move is in line with a development strategy initiated recently by the municipality to revamp its service-rendering policies and introduce new, effective mechanism to facilitate transactions and relationship between the department and the public.

The exemption applies to all types of licences and businesses. According to the decision, all licensing transactions will be directly handled by the Commercial Licences Department without the need to go through the Public Health and Environment Department as per the previous procedure.

Initially, three categories were exempted from the health inspection prerequisite including fresh applications for licensing, addition of a new activity related to public health and environment, and shifting of the establishment's premises to a new location.

The decision was welcomed by all business sectors and applicants seen at the municipality yesterday. They lauded the remarkable improvement in the different procedures which came as part of the municipality's new strategy.

A municipality source said the new move was aimed at ridding the department of the administrative flab and enhancing the relationship between the municipality and the public.

"The decision to scrap health inspection comes in conformity with the directives of the chairman of the department to once and for all, get rid of red-tape in the department's offices in order to chalk out a civilised formula that presents the true image and pioneering role played by the municipality to push forward the development process in the emirate and get rid of any procedures that hinder the development and growth process," the source said. According to Khalifa Humaid Al Hosani, the municipality's acting under-secretary, the action plan and administrative development move initiated by the municipality on the directives of Shaikh Butti came as a confirmation of the department's commitment to introduce new working standards and rules that are based on a policy aimed at overcoming all obstacles and challenges hindering the development process.

"The municipality is determined to go ahead with its overall development plan which calls for change and modernisation in order to keep abreast of the latest developments and meet the needs emanating from the overall development process witnessed by the country," Mr Hosani said.

The municipality has recently taken several bold steps as part of the new strategy including privatisation of several sectors, which resulted in termination of the service of thousands of employees.

It has also merged several of its departments and established new ones as part of the plan.

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