An ad-hoc committee’s report submitted at the Federal National Council session on Tuesday called for the country’s social security policy to be linked with the economic changes and social development.

Earlier, six members tabled a motion to discuss the issue of the social security policy, asking the Ministry of Social Affairs to clarify about the categories of beneficiaries and the criteria used to select and study their circumstances. The members also asked the ministry about the follow-up mechanism of social, health and psychological categories that fall under the Social Security Act.

Chaired by Speaker Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, the session was attended by Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of FNC Affairs, who is also the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Maryam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs.

“The social security policy is an important pillar of social development of a country. How does the system work? And what are the categories of beneficiaries and the criteria to grant social security to those who deserve?” asked member Faisal Abdullah Al Tunaiji.

He also said he fully endorsed the proposals in the committee’s report that serves and benefits the community. The report was drafted after meetings between the ad-hoc panel members and representatives of the ministry.

Responding to his and other members’ questions, Al Roumi assured the House that the country has one of the world’s best social security policies that satisfies the deserving people’s needs.

She said: “The country has adopted one of the best and top-ranking social security policies in the world. The Social Security Act of the country does not only mean monetary grants but overall support, including health, education, job, shelter and other necessities that every normal person wants to have.”

At this, the FNC Speaker asked the minister how the UAE’s social security provisions are as compared to those of the other GCC and regional countries.

Responding to the Speaker’s question, Al Roumi said the UAE’s policy was behind Kuwait, which tops the region, just by a minor fraction.

The report discussed at the session called for the amendment of the Social Security Federal Law N0. 2 of 2001 because of social and economic changes over the years and to help address the changing demands and requirements of deserving beneficiaries.

It proposed that the Act needed to add new categories and criteria, including unmarried daughters, married students and divorced persons under the age of 35 if conditions are met, to benefit from grants and other social support facilities.

It further called for the immediate implementation of the directive of the head of the state calling for an increase of 20 per cent in social security grant for the beneficiaries.

“The ministry must expand its services to the beneficiaries by exempting them from the fees and tariffs imposed by government departments for services and transactions,” the committee advised.

It also proposed the creation of a database of the information shared between the ministry and authorities concerned, including the statistics, studies and annual reports issued by government agencies and other stakeholders in the country.

The report called for enhanced teamwork by various government agencies, the ministry and the private sector to provide better services to the beneficiaries and give them jobs, particularly for those with special needs.

“The ministry also needs to help increase the number of rehabilitation centres and support social workers with necessary training opportunities to develop their knowledge and abilities so that they can participate better in the development of the social security policy,” the committee recommended. The other proceedings of the day included debates on the education and health policies, the FNC budget.