The value of spending of federal authorities increased to around Dhs10.44 billion during the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 17 per cent compared to Dhs8.92 billion during the same period in 2017, highlighting the country’s continuing overall development.

According to a financial performance report on the country’s budget issued by the Ministry of Finance, the level of commitment to implementing the budget reached 100 per cent during the first quarter of 2018, with public sector spending accounting for the largest proportion of government spending during the first three months of the year, reaching around Dhs3.277 billion, or 31.4 per cent of total spending.

Ministry statistics revealed spending on public services during the first quarter of 2018 grew by 2.9 per cent compared to 2017. Public order and general safety spending reached Dhs2.346 billion during the first three months of 2018, accounting for 22.5 per cent of total spending.

As for public services, public order and Islamic affairs, spending reached around Dhs5.62 billion, accounting for 53.8 per cent of the total spending of governmental authorities during the same period.

Spending on the education sector totalled Dhs1.344 billion, an increase of 3.6 per cent compared to Dhs1.293 billion during the first quarter of 2017. Health sector spending reached Dhs766 million, accounting for 7.3 per cent of total spending while spending on the social protection sector reached Dhs777 million.

Spending on economic affairs reached Dhs244 million, or 2.3 per cent of the total spending while spending the housing and community facilities sector totalled Dhs99.1 million, or 0.9 per cent, and Dhs49 million was spent on the environment protection sector, or 0.5 per cent, and Dhs31.8 million was spent on the entertainment, culture and religion sector, or 0.3 per cent of total spending.

The ministry aims to provide analytical financial statistics about the performance of federal authorities, according to the best international practices, in light of its commitment to achieving the highest levels of transparency and based on the provisions of articles 9 and 50 of the decree of Federal Law No.8 for 2011, which relates to the rules for drafting the general budget and final account and the rules regulating public spending, collection of proceeds and submitting regular reports to the UAE Cabinet on the implementation of the budget.


The Gulf Today/Gulf base