Dr. Khirbash told the conference that strong leadership from government and the business community is essential in bridging the private-public sector divide that is particularly relevant to the Middle East. 'Private public partnerships (PPPs) have seen rapid growth over the past couple of decades worldwide. We are witnessing private sector participation in the provision of utility services and also in sectors traditionally exclusive to the government, such as health, education and transportation. Here in the Middle East, these partnerships are viewed as critical to underpinning future economic growth,' said Dr. Khirbash.
The debate about private–public participation has grown in the UAE as government departments have found they can create efficiencies by outsourcing tasks to privately-run companies. The Ministry of Finance and Industry (MOFI) has played a key role in transforming governmental real estate and management services entities into autonomous business units with increased independence, flexibility and customer awareness.
The Minister also pointed to the UAE's success in privatising power and water as examples of ways in which the country has set a standard for partnership between government and the private sector in the Middle East. He noted, however, that increased private sector involvement is required regionally to create new efficiencies, promote high performance government and take the pressure off national budgets.
'From 1996 till 2001, twelve MENA region countries awarded 55 infrastructure projects with private participation, attracting nearly $23 billion in investment commitments. However, in the coming twelve months, it is expected that such projects will require around $45 billion, excluding the reconstruction effort in Iraq,' Dr. Khirbash said.
Dr Khirbash stressed the contribution that technology can make to improving customer and stakeholder satisfaction and highlighted the success of MOFI initiatives such as Total Quality Management and Performance-based budgeting which have served to allocate resources more effectively and more efficiently. He also spoke about E-Government that is serving to automate government transactions and thereby facilitate the interaction between the public and the private sector.
'Together these initiatives form a comprehensive approach to driving productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. Most importantly this approach aims at bringing the government closer to its stakeholders – the citizens and the private sector,' he said.
Dr Khirbash concluded his speech by noting that strong leadership is a critical factor in determining the potential success of public partnerships. 'Bridging the divide between the private and the public sector is not just about driving greater efficiency and operational standards. It is also about believing in a vision and not being afraid of change. Here in the UAE we understand the need for new policy approaches and for new thinking. It is a challenging and a demanding process.'
Quelle: AME Info
