UAE Federal Budget surplus in first nine months of 2016 rose to Dh8

27/03/2017 05:43 AST

In an indication reflecting the successful cost optimisation policy adopted by the UAE, the UAE Federal Budget surplus rose during the first nine months of 2016 by 130 per cent to Dh8 billion from Dh3.48 billion in the same period in 2015.

An analysis by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) indicated that the total revenues of the federal government reached Dh37.463 billion for the first nine months of 2016, with expenditures hitting Dh29.717 billion, over the same period. The positive deliverables depict the successful economic policy followed after a zero-based budgeting system has been adopted recently.

The revenues rose by around seven per cent to Dh37.463 billion during the period from January to September 2016 compared to Dh35.04 billion over the same period in 2015. Expenditures fell from Dh31.6 billion to Dh29.717 billion by end of September 2016. In more details, the analysis mentioned that the federal government’s revenues collected from service charges reached Dh9.93 billion during the first nine months of 2016. This accounts for 75.1 per cent of 2016’s total revenue, estimated at Dh13.21 billion, according to latest statistics released by the Ministry of Finance. The revenues generated from 2016 service charges until September are almost equal to those achieved over the same period in 2015.

The federal government’s revenue levied through the e-Dirham system reached Dh5.16 billion, which equals 52 per cent of the government’s total service charges, 16 per cent of which were collected manually and 32 per cent automatically, with the manual collection of charges at federal departments reaching 15.55 per cent.

The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation account for the largest share of the service charge revenue collected during the first nine months of 2016, with the first representing 43 per cent and the second accounting for 36 per cent, according to the statistics.

The 2016 federal budget has estimated the revenues of UAE ministries at Dh48.557 billion and expenditures at Dh48.567 billion after adopting the zero-based budgeting system.

Gulfnews