UAE to offer bonuses to staff in vital sectors, approves new digital payments company

The UAE Cabinet has approved a scheme to offer bonuses to staff in vital sectors during times of crisis.

The new system aims to ensure that medical staff are compensated for their pivotal role during emergency situations, such as the Covid-19 outbreak, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who chaired the meeting on Sunday.

The bonuses will be limited to those in vital jobs in the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, official news agency WAM reported.
As part of the the criteria, eligible medical staff must have worked for more than two months under the emergency conditions.

“It is our duty to appreciate everyone who contributed and participated in bearing the burdens with us during the crisis… And we say to everyone, the UAE is always the best,” Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter.

وأقررنا اليوم نظاماً ومعايير لتحديد صرف المكافآت للعاملين في الوظائف الحيوية خلال الأوقات الطارئة .. التقدير واجب لكل من ساهم وشارك في تحمل الأعباء معنا خلال الأزمة … ونقول للجميع القادم دائماً أفضل في دولة الإمارات .. pic.twitter.com/BdZheQ53zG

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 14, 2020

During the meeting, the cabinet also approved the establishment of the Al Etihad digital payments company, a national platform for processing digital payments.

Its goal will be to provide digital payment services to all sectors in a “safe, fast, and secure manner”, said Sheikh Mohammed.

It also seeks to achieve healthy competition among digital payment providers and reduce the financial burden on the public, business sectors and government expenses, a statement said.

The new company will integrate applications across federal and local government platforms and offer services to the public and the business sector with unified standards and easy procedures.

It will also “maintain confidentiality of data and customer identities without relying on non-national systems and platforms”, the report said.

كما أقررنا اليوم إنشاء "شركة الاتحاد للمدفوعات الرقمية" .. مؤسسة وطنية هدفها تقديم خدمات الدفع الرقمية لكافة قطاعاتنا في الدولة بشكل آمن .. وسريع .. ومضمون .. اقتصادنا الرقمي الوطني في تطور .. ومؤسساتنا تواكب .. pic.twitter.com/JnVtX84K8O

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 14, 2020

“In the UAE, our aspirations and motivations are high. More importantly, our government is flexible and proactive,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“We continuously improve the services, develop innovative decisions and our goal is to build a bright future for our young generations.”

He added: “Work in the UAE government will continue from the field and remotely. We embrace the evolution of work practices to maintain leadership.”