Dubai's Department of Finance and Supreme Legislation Committee Hold Workshop on Contracts and Warehouse Management Law

Dubai's Department of Finance (DOF) and Supreme Legislation Committee (SLC) held introductory workshop as an interactive platform for shedding light on the provisions of Law No. (12) of 2020 concerning Contracts and Warehouse Management in the Government of Dubai.

More than 360 employees from 36 government entities participated in the virtual workshop that took place over two days and was opened with keynotes delivered by Ahmad Saeed bin Meshar Al Muhairi, Secretary General, SLC and Aref Abdulrahman Ahli, Executive Director, DOF.

This newly-issued Law is of great interest as it sets an up-to-date framework for streamlining the rules, procedures and methods of meeting government entities' procurement needs, in accordance with international best practices in terms of quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. It is geared towards encouraging government entities to adopt the joint procurement method at fair and competitive prices to ensure cost-effectiveness, integrity, and transparency.

"The Law No. (12) of 2020 concerning Contracts and Warehouse Management in the Government of Dubai will give a strong impetus to our digital transformation efforts as it provides for the launch of a central online system for the management of government contracts and inventory by the Smart Dubai, in coordination with other government entities. This ensures the efficient and effective automation of the government procurement process and inventory management," said Al Muhairi. "We appreciate the strategic partnership between the SLC and DOF in Dubai, which has played an effective role in disseminating and enriching legislative knowledge among government entities to help achieve optimal implementation of legislation. These efforts are in line with the wise directives and the insightful vision of the UAE wise leadership, namely creating a distinguished and proactive government that meets current and future needs".

"We, at the SLC, look forward to continuing the development of the legislative process by further improving the quality, efficiency, and viability of legislation. This will help us ensure the fair and reliable implementation of legislation to achieve the goal of the Emirate of Dubai, namely, bringing happiness to the people and promoting the welfare of the community. The success of this workshop motivates us to organise similar legislative awareness events to raise legislative and legal knowledge at the governmental and community levels," Al Muhairi added.

Government purchases of goods and services constitute a relatively large share of total government expenditures. They account for 10-15 percent of GDP in developed countries, 26 percent of GDP in Arab countries, while they make-up approximately 23 percent of total government spending in Dubai. 

The government procurement policy contributes to shaping competition in the market, increasing efficiency and ensuring that suppliers provide their goods at the lowest cost and with the highest possible quality. Therefore, the Government of Dubai is keen to activate the principle of competition, transparency and accountability based on the new law to ensure the preservation of public money.

"The Law No. (12) of 2020 concerning Contracts and Warehouse Management in the Government of Dubai introduces modern development concepts that meet the needs of the concerned authorities from the public and private sectors, in a way that contributes to enhancing economic growth and sustainability, and granting the necessary flexibility to government agencies to introduce innovation into procurement, and to organise their procedures according to best practices," said Ahli of DOF. "This will ensure best value for public money and the implementation of contracts at fair competitive prices. It also will enhance integrity and competition, and provide fair treatment for competitors, in order to achieve the principle of equal opportunities, ensure transparency in all government procurement procedures and continuous reliance on smart systems."

"The importance of this introductory workshop lies in enabling the participants to review the technical and legal aspects of the new law, given that the effectiveness of procurement cannot be guaranteed without technical and legal knowledge. The workshop provides an opportunity for the participants to view opinions, exchange ideas and contribute to drawing the new contract law implementation plan," concluded Ahli.