Mohammed bin Rashid issues decrees, law
The decree states that all powers and responsibilities entrusted to the DM regarding the management, organising, licensing and monitoring of advertisement along roads and streets in the Emirate of Dubai, shall now be transferred to the DRTA, which shall henceforth be the sole body to wield this authority and shall be committed to exercising this powers and prerogatives as per the rules, regulations and standards stated in Local Order no. 30 of 1986 dealing with monitoring of advertisement in the Dubai Emirate and other bye-laws of the Local Order.
The DRTA shall also be in charge of beautification of roads and streets as per the approved conditions of the Garden and Beautification Section of the DM's Public Projects Department, but maintenance work shall be done by the Garden and Beautification Section after the completion of any related project by the DRTA, the decree said. It also gave the DRTA the authority to transfer to its fold whoever it deems necessary from the staff of the Advertisement or Garden and Beautification sections of the DM or to appoint new staff according to the demand of its assignment.
The decree nullifies any other decree or legislation that prejudices or contradicts any article of the new decree, which came into effect from April 30, 2006 and is to be published in the official gazette.
The Dubai Ruler also issued Act 10 of 2006, setting up Dubai Export Development Corporation (DEDC).
The 20-article Act established a public institution to be known as +Dubai Export Development Corporation+, which shall be an independent corporate body that enjoys all the legal competence to practice any work or take any action to achieve its objectives. It shall have the power to contract a third party, and to sue or be sued according to this status. The institution is to be attached to the Dubai Executive Council, the Act states.
The Act stipulated the objectives of the new institution, including working to increase the volume of Dubai's export, open new markets abroad, encourage and boost export-related investments by providing for the local business sector comprehensive data base on world markets concerned with the export sector. It will also create and spread awareness about investment opportunities in the export sector to encourage the local market to venture into this area.
In order to achieve the above goals, the new institution shall contribute to the preparing and modernising of export strategy. It shall also proactively involve in the implementation of the strategy with all concerned bodies, provide and develop marketing plans to help the export sector penetrate the international markets. In addition, the new institution shall provide trade, information and legal services for export sector institutions in the latter's dealings with the public and private sectors or any other concerned bodies. It shall also represent the export sector in any international gathering.
Articles 7 and 8 of the Act states that the DEDC shall have a board which shall comprise of a chairman, vice chairman and five other board members. The board shall be the higher authority with the sole power of drawing the general policies of the institution, defining its strategic objectives, approving its annual statement of accounts and final statements, reviewing draft annual budget, approving its organisation structure and reviewing its annual performance reports.
The board shall meet once, at least, every three months. Its decisions shall be passed with absolute majority of members present at the meeting. It has the power to set up temporary or permanent committees to assist in discharging its duties and to provide suggestions on issues referred to them. The board shall also seek in this regard the assistance of experts, who shall not have voting power on the board, the articles added.
According to articles 12 and 13, the new institutions shall have an executive director and administrative body. The executive director, who shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Executive Council, shall see to the day-to-day running of the institution. He shall, among other duties, be responsible for preparing and presenting to the board annual reports on the DEDC's performance. It shall also prepare the institution's annual draft budget, make suggestions on the systems and regulations that would govern the institution, in addition to appointing staff and other workers. The executive director may represent the institution's chairman in the DEDC's transactions with a third party and before the judiciary. The DEDC chairman, his deputy, or any of the board members or the executive director, in the course of exercising their administrative duties, shall not be held responsible over their work by any third party, the articles say.
The Act states that the new institution shall have its source of revenues from the financial supports earmarked for it in the emirate's general budget and from any other revenue from the practicing of its activities and services.
The board shall issue the necessary bye laws, rules and decisions for the implementation of this Act, which exempted the institution from paying any local tax and fees.
The Act takes effect from the date of its issuance and is to be published in the official gazette.
WAM/SA 20 07 CCCCQQE