The Dubai Municipality will introduce on November several new e-services, including on-line acceptance and issuance of up to 32 types of 'no objection certificates' (NOCs), reported the Abu Dhabi-based Khaleej Times newspaper.
The online services are part of the contribution by the Dubai Municipality which is among the 24 local government departments involved with the Dubai e-government initiative, said the paper.
Mohammed Abdul Karim Julfar, assistant director-general for technical services at the municipality, said the web site, www.dm.gov.ae, was being upgraded to meet the new requirements and make it more interactive, dynamic and easier to use.
The online NOC facility will help reduce the time spent by building contractors and consultants in getting these documents.
After the submission of online NOC applications, they will get a reference number along with an advisory note on the payment of fees.
They will be required to submit the drawings and other documents personally at the Customer Services Department specifying this reference number.
Then the municipality will route the application through all the relevant departments in addition for approvals.
The NOCs will be posted to them electronically.
Julfar told the paper that this facility would help process an NOC application within a maximum of three days, depending on the nature of projects. As many as 32 types of NOCs will be covered in the first phase, said Julfar, who is also a member of Dubai e-government executive team.
He said the applicant could pay the fee electronically through their bank accounts or in person.
"It will be faster if the fee is paid in cash personally as bank transactions take their own time. We will not accept payment through credit cards for security reasons," he said.
He said similar service would be available for the foodstuff fitness certificates. Also covered in the first phase are certificates issued by the Dubai Central Laboratory for building materials, soil testing, gold and jewelry purity.
Julphar said municipality staff had been trained in dealing with the online services and responding to customers electronically. The municipality is also reviewing its procedures to introduce a multi-purpose application form for some services with the aim to reduce the burdensome paperwork.
"The whole idea is to make life easier, reduce bureaucratic delays and improvise our performance on a day to day basis," he said – Albawaba.com
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