Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has approved Dhs1.721 billion as Sharjah Municipality’s budget for next year.

This includes new appointments for the emirate’s citizens and various development projects.

This was announced by Obaid Saeed Al Tunaiji, Director General of Sharjah Municipality, via the Direct Line programme broadcast live on Sharjah Radio and Television.

The budget, the largest in the history of the municipality, includes the allocation of Dhs846 million for salaries and new appointments, Dhs744 million for operating expenses including contracts for companies at the public level, Dhs77 million for capital expenditures and Dhs53 million for development projects such as developing agriculture and parks across the emirate etc.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Sultan approved appointment of 170 Emiratis in Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (Sewa) including 130 engineers and 40 in various administrative jobs by the beginning of next year, according to the programme.

Sheikh Sultan also instructed Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority to pass the number plate of a taxi registered in the name of an Emirati who passed away on to his wife as part of a direct response to a telephone call that the Direct Line programme received from an Emirati.

The Emirati stated that his father had a taxi, which he obtained under a waiver from his brother. He added that after his father died, his sons could not pass the taxi on to their mother because the law in the emirate bans waivers for more than once and in the same way bans passing on plate numbers.