In the presence of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Municipality and Planning Department – Ajman (MPDA), the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) organized the “Zero Bureaucracy Meeting” at Al Zorah Natural Reserve in the Emirate of Ajman, a strategic event showcased the MOCCAE’s new vision for eliminating and streamlining procedures in services provided to customers. During the event, the “Fishermen’s Services Package,” was kicked as a pioneering model for re-engineering government services and supporting fishermen, thereby fostering the blue economy and national food security.

Her Excellency Dr. Amna Bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, His Excellency Mohammed bin Tali’a, Head of Government Services for the UAE Government, at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, and His Excellency Marawan Abdullah Al Zaabi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Regions Sector and Leader of Zero Bureaucracy at the MOCCAE, along with a number of directors general of government entities partnering in the development of the “Fishermen’s Services Package” from across the state, a host of leaders from the MOCCAE and government officials from the Emirate of Ajman, and a number of strategic partners and clients, were present in the event.

Innovative Model in Government Work

Her Excellency Dr. Amna Bint Abdullah Al Dahak started her speech saying that the MOCCAE’s development efforts stem from firmly-established national principles. “We are inspired by the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may Allah protect him, who places human beings and sustainability high on his agenda. We proceed under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, may Allah protect him, in carrying out the  “Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme (ZGB)” with an advanced vision to provide flexible and innovative services that pave the way for the future,” Her Excellency said, noting that the MOCCAE is adopting a new approach that is centered around transforming the customer from a service recipient to a key partner in its development.

“We are following a strategic vision geared towards moving from merely improving procedures to profoundly reinventing services, in support of our wise leadership’s vision for the future government,” Her Excellency said, voicing her happiness at launching the “Fishermen’s Services Package,” and describing it as a qualitative step in supporting one of the most vital sectors in the state.

Her Excellency added: “Fishermen are the guardians of our heritage and the backbone of our food system. Zeroing bureaucracy in their services is not merely an administrative facilitation; it is direct support for the blue economy and a boost to sustainable food security, as this package allows them to focus on their profession rather than doing transactions.

Her Excellency Dr. Amna Al Dahak wrapped up emphasizing the comprehensiveness of the government’s vision, saying: “What we are working on today to highlight our zeroing bureaucracy efforts and enhance our endeavors to preserve nature and advance climate action, is a comprehensive model of working with an innovative vision through which we aim to bring sustainability in its broadest sense and build a green and prosperous future for all the people of the UAE.”

Fishermen’s Services Package launched

As part of the meeting’s activities, the MOCCAE officially launched the “Fishermen’s Services Package,” which was tailored based on the outcomes of interactive workshops with fishermen themselves to learn about their challenges. The Package is a new generation of proactive services aimed at cutting short the customer journey, integrating related services into a single window, and fundamentally downing number of required documents. This plays great part in expediting license renewal, boat and equipment management, and other key services.

The “Fishermen’s Services Package” includes a comprehensive number of streamlined vital services, such as procedures for licensing and renewing fishing boats, applications for issuing and renewing deputy captain cards, services for adding or replacing engines and fishing boats, as well as sales of fishing boat hulls, transfer of fishing boat ownership, transferring boats to heirs, changing fishing methods, and requesting support materials for fishermen.

The MOCCAE’s efforts to zero bureaucracy in the Fishermen’s Services Package have resulted in tangible, record-breaking results, reducing the number of procedures by 18,624 and 7,515 steps required during the customer’s journey. These streamlined processes also eliminated the need for 16,269 documents and reduced 2,827 requirements, positively contributing to customer’s convenience by saving 2,620 visits to service centers. This embodies the new model’s efficiency in saving time and effort.

Roadmap and Accomplishments

The MOCCAE has adopted a sophisticated approach to zero bureaucracy through mechanisms embraced by internal teams to analyze and deconstruct complex services, leading to agile and efficient work models serving all customer sectors.

The Ministry has leapfrogged in zeroing bureaucracy over the past period, as a high-level committee and internal working groups were established and covered 6 key sectors. The teams prioritized 33 services and procedures, with 82 sub-activities included to begin the zeroing process.

To ensure community engagement, the Ministry held 21 interactive majlisis and workshops to gather feedback on service outline. Work is also underway to organize the largest virtual majlis for livestock traders between the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman. On e-connectivity, the Ministry contacted 28 government and federal entities to lower paper-based bureaucracy, link services, and streamline the customer journey. These efforts culminated in the launch of the “Transfer Platform,” the first national digital marketplace for trading recyclable materials.

This new innovative phase is added to the successes made by the Ministry in the previous cycle of the ZGB, which included zeroing 39 processes across 101 services. These efforts resulted in the elimination of over 71,000 procedures and 150,000 steps, and the removal of around 126,000 documents, contributing to a 51% taking service delivery time down, thereby cementing a culture of efficiency in the institutional work.

Honoring Partners in Success and Government Integration

In recognition of the partners’ efforts, Her Excellency Dr. Amna Bint Abdullah Al Dahak honored a myriad of strategic partners who played a prominent role in the success of the “Zero Bureaucracy” project by launching the “Fishermen’s Services Package.” The MOCCAE asserted that this recognition reinforces the principle of government integration and appreciates the constructive cooperation that led to linking systems and rendering the customer journey easier.

Honorees are: His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority; His Excellency Ali Ahmed Ali Abu Ghazeen, Chairman of the Sharjah Fisheries Authority; His Excellency Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the MPDA; Her Excellency Engineer Moza Obaid Al Muhairi, Assistant Director General of the Environment Protection and Development Authority in Ras Al Khaimah; His Excellency Ismail Al Sayed Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Mr. Suleiman Rashid Al Khadim Al Antali, Chairman of the Cooperative Union of Fishermen’s Associations; and Lieutenant Colonel Bakheet Rashid Al Matroushi, Commander of the Third Squadron of the National Guard. This comes in recognition of their significant contributions to supporting fishermen and promoting sustainable food security.

Mangrove Planting: On-the-scene Sustainability

Wrapping up, Her Excellency Dr. Amna Al Dahak and the attendees took part in planting mangrove seedlings at one of the sites in the Al Zorah Natural Reserve, one of the most important mangrove areas in the UAE, on the occasion of UAE Tree Planting Week. Mangrove trees represent one of the most important nature-based solutions to address climate change, enhance biodiversity, and preserve the coastal and natural environment, as they serve as natural carbon sinks. The UAE is working on achieving its goal of planting 100 million mangrove trees by 2030 as part of its efforts to enhance environmental and climate sustainability across the state.