Supreme Legislation Committee launches Legislative Audit e-System

In a virtual introductory meeting involving 32 Dubai government entities

UAE, 30 June 2020 – The General Secretariat of the Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai (SLC) launched the Legislative Audit e-System (LAS) during a virtual introductory meeting attended by 32 local government entities that are subject to legislative audit. The launch, which took place via the Microsoft Teams platform, formed part of the ongoing efforts to ensure optimal application of legislation in Dubai in line with the emirate’s ambitious development plan.

H.E. Ahmad Saeed bin Meshar Al Muhairi, SLC Secretary General, and Mohammed Juma Al Suwaidi, SLC Assistant Secretary General, participated in the meeting during which features of the LAS were highlighted. The system is the result of SLC initiatives aiming at fostering a culture of innovation that facilitates the implementation of the legislative audit process electronically in line with the best international practices and the legislative audit policy approved by the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai.

In his speech, H.E. Al Muhairi stated: “The LAS is part of our response to the directives of our wise leadership to enhance the legislative audit system in Dubai in line with the requirements of the future and in light of the rapid technological innovations and smart developments occurring worldwide. The LAS serves as a proactive initiative aiming at strengthening cooperation and communication between the SLC and government entities in Dubai and ensuring sound implementation of the legislation in force.”

H.E. Ahmad bin Meshar added: “The LAS is the result of our continuous focus on development of innovative and advanced systems to monitor the implementation of legislation by government entities with a view to ensuring proper implementation and development of sustainable and balanced legislation.

The initiative is in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai, to consolidate the rule of law and legality in the emirate. The SLC is fully committed to adopting advanced and modern technologies to strengthen the legislative audit process in the emirate, ensure proper implementation of legislation, and achieve 100 per cent legislative compliance.”

“We are pleased to launch the LAS in a virtual meeting attended by representatives of 32 local government entities. During the meeting, we shed light on the interactive features of the system that support our vision of developing legislation that embraces the present and looks ahead to the future. We are confident that the LAS will yield positive results as it supports the smart transformation process and the Dubai Paperless Strategy to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world,” he added.

The LAS provides a single and streamlined platform that will support the legislative audit function of the SLC General Secretariat. During the meeting, the participants also learned about the objectives behind the implementation of the system. The LAS was formally launched after more than three years of coordination between the SLC and government entities. Apart from reinforcing the goals of the Dubai Paperless Strategy, the system also standardises legislative audit practices and procedures, enhances compliance with legislative audit remarks, and stimulates positive competition amongst concerned government entities.

Some of the features of the LAS were showcased during the virtual launch. These features included streamlining legislative audit reporting procedures and following up legislative audit work. The system provides accurate statistics and allows for easy monitoring of the compliance of each government entity with applicable legislation. Furthermore, users can use the system to obtain updates on the events of the Legislative Audit Directorate, including annual meetings, interactive workshops, and initiatives.

The participants were able compare the legislative audit process before and after activating the LAS. The introductory meeting shed light on the advantages of the system, namely decreasing the legislative audit reporting time; providing direct links between SLC remarks and actions taken by concerned government entities; providing access to relevant documentation, legislative audit reports, and SLC relevant remarks; and providing full access to the government entity’s work flow, processes, achievements, and outcomes.

Adoption of the new electronic system will complement some existing procedures, which include the legislative audit introductory letters sent to new government entities, induction visits, regular meetings, and the legislative transparency standard. The SLC General Secretariat will continue to use this standard to verify whether a government entity exercises its functions pursuant to its establishing legislation, and to measure the transparency level of such legislation.

The meeting also shed light on the role of government entities in activating the LAS and in encouraging their staff to adopt the system and its legislative audit reporting module. It also highlighted the different categories of users of the system; the results of the trial phase; and the training resources available to work teams that will enable them to maximise the benefits of the system and ensure full legislative compliance.

The first stage of LAS implementation will involve rolling out the system to five government entities, namely the Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority, the Dubai Health Authority, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and the Dubai Department of Economic Development.