Sultan issues directive on Sharjah retirees’ pension

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has instructed that the pension of Sharjah retirees of the federal government paid by the General Pension and Social Security Authority be equal to the pension of the emirate’s retirees of local government paid by Sharjah Social Security Fund, so that the minimum remuneration will be Dhs17,500 with a retrospective effect from January 2018, according to Jihan Shuaib, Staff Reporter.

The difference of the old and new remuneration packages, a total of Dhs65 million, will be transferred to the retirees’ accounts by the beginning of May.

The minimum standard of living not to mention any other obligations is Dhs17,500, Sheikh Sultan said, adding that a survey would be conducted for the needs of all houses in the emirate and in case the results showed that the minimum standard of living is Dhs20,000, the remuneration would be raised.

Last month Sheikh Sultan Bin launched the ‘Sharjah Sustainable City’ project. The Dhs2 billion project is the first urban mixed-use project in the emirate, which meets the highest standards of green economy and environmental sustainability.

The project is the outcome of a strategic partnership between Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Diamond Developers.

Spread across 7.2 million square feet, Sharjah Sustainable City is strategically located near the emirate›s Al Rahmaniya area, easily accessible from the Sharjah International Airport and Sharjah University City. Upon completion, it will feature 1,120 eco-friendly and energy-efficient villas with a modern-meets-oriental design in harmony with the unique architectural aesthetic Sharjah is known for.

During the official launch ceremony, Sheikh Sultan was introduced to the features of the residential units and other facilities through a 3D city model displayed at the event.

He also received details about the eco-friendly technologies the city will be built on, and the key environmental and health benefits they will offer to the city’s future residents.

The project will include a sustainable school, which will promote the concepts of sustainability through school curricula. It will also feature a ‘Sustainability Experience Centre’ - a platform to host meetings and forums by government and academic entities, NGOs, as well as school and university students, centred around promoting awareness about environmental issues and sustainable living.

The project encompasses three, four, and five bedroom villas built on spacious 2,035 - 3,630 square feet plots, and are being designed to offer discerning buyers the perfect comBination of comfort, practicality and style.

These smart homes in the city are being built to offer up to 100 per cent savings on electricity bills and 50 per cent cuts on water bills. The project includes a number of public facilities - a community shopping centre for premier shopping and entertainment, a venue to host social events, health clubs, swimming pools, cycling and jogging tracks, restaurants, nurseries, medical clinics and a mosque.

Sharjah Sustainability City is poised to be a landmark contribution by Sharjah to the global movement towards reducing carbon footprint, slowing global warming and decreasing the harsh impacts of climate change. It reflects Shurooq’s commitment to promote the green economy culture in Sharjah and the UAE.

Sheikh Sultan has  despite the nation’s recent achievements in applying best-in-class technology and processes to deliver policy and communicate with citizens, more efforts needed to train government employees, so that role models emerge from within the leadership ranks.

He made this observation while addressing international delegates and attendees at the inaugural session of the eighth edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2019) in Sharjah last month.