Sharjah24: Sharjah Economic Development Department “SEDD” reviewed the most important developments and events in the economic sectors and the actions and efforts taken by the Department in all sectors and activities during the past year 2021, in order to provide a comprehensive tool for customers in the economic sectors in the emirate and inform them of the most important results achieved. Such thing was done in order to confirm its efforts to achieve its vision to make Sharjah the first economic destination locally and regionally in innovation, confidence and happiness.
Commenting on that, HE Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, SEDD Chairman, stressed that the issuance of these data is one of the important economic indicators on which the Department relies on to study the economic situation in the emirate. HE stressed that the strategic goal of the Department is to achieve a comprehensive development plan that promotes economic development in Sharjah. This is done by developing services to suit the highest international quality standards in terms of speed of completion and access for customers in the economic sector and investors in the emirate and seeking to complete transactions easily and effectively.
Also, His Excellency explained that Sharjah succeeded in emerging from 2021 with a balanced and sustainable economic performance. It can be achieved by providing the emirate with many incentives, which contributed to enhancing the continuity of development in various fields and mitigating the economic and social impacts that the world has witnessed during the past period. Such thing has strengthened the economic and industrial sectors. On the other hand, SEDD carries on the task to develop number of sectors, through the continuous development of the business environment through business reconciliation, use of smart investor technologies, reliance on premium partner cards, use of digital technologies, application of government accelerators, continued adoption of quality systems to manage business continuity. All of this help to ensure the quality of the performance of digital services in the business environment, development in the areas of human capital in building innovative capacity and investing in citizenship capabilities in universities.
Furthermore, Sharjah's economic development indicators grew significantly in 2021, according to data from SEDD, with a total of 61,130 business licenses issued and renewed in Sharjah last year, an 8% growth over 2020, including the issuance of 6,831 new licenses and 54,299 renewed licenses.
Commenting on that, Fahad Al Khamiri, Director of Registration and Licensing Department at SEDD, said that data issued by the Department showed that e commerce licenses topped the issued and renewed licenses, with a growth rate of 96% compared to the same period last year. These licenses were followed by industrial licenses with a growth rate of 96% compared to the same period last year. Then, they were followed by industrial licenses at a growth rate of 13% and with a total of 2,452 licenses. As for professional licenses, they hit a growth rate of 10% with a total of 19,360 licenses, while commercial licenses reached an estimated 7% increase and a total of 38,228 licenses. On the other hand, the growth rate of Eitimad licenses reached 6%, confirming the stability and sustainability of the economic situation in Sharjah, thanks to the incentives launched by Sharjah Executive Council.
Earlier last year, SEDD implemented Sharjah Executive Council decisions on the regulation for the rules of economic activities through mobile cars in Sharjah, as part of the department's tasks in regulating the economic sector in all respects. Such thing falls within the concerns to apply policies, standards, regulations, decisions, executive circulars and in light of the high demand for such activities during the past period. Also, it was placed in order to find a mechanism to open new windows for sales and service delivery, and to stimulate the economic movement in Sharjah. Therefore, the Department, in coordination with the competent authorities in the emirate, were keen to allocate places to organise the practice of this activity and provide all the necessary requirements and facilities for them to encourage them to continue and create an atmosphere of competition. As a result, these activities witnessed a high demand by investors during 2021 where the Department issued 73 permits during the past year with a growth of 16% compared to 2020.
On the other hand, Khalfan Al Herathi, Director of SEDD Branches Department, said that SEDD Branches completed 38,345 licenses issued and renewed in 2021, according to data on the licenses issued and renewed by the Department's branches located in cities and areas of Sharjah.
In detail, the number of licenses issued and renewed in the Industrial Areas Branch totaled 25,704 this year. On the other hand, the Central Region Branch came with a total of 7,224 licenses, while Khor Fakkan Branch hit 2,664 licenses. Then, Kalba Branch reached a total of 2,269 licenses, while Dibba Al Hisn Branch completed 484 issued and renewed licenses in the same year.
For his part, Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Commercial Control and Protection Department at SEDD, illustrated that the Department handled 11,210 complaints received in 2021 with a growth rate of 19%. He added that the Department was able to solve 11,006 complaints with 98.2% rate and closed them completely, while the rest received by the Department are under completion, mostly because of other complaints. It should be noted that the number of inspection campaigns done by Commercial Officers on various economic establishments in the emirate reached 203,932 ones in the same period.
Consumer protection complaints accounted for the largest share of the number of complaints received. These complaints amounted to 9,729 of the total complaints dealt with. On the other hand, the number of complaints of commercial fraud amounted to 936, while the complaints of the service agent reached 545 ones.
Al Suwaidi added that the Department always seeks to promote consumer culture by educating consumers and investors about their rights and duties. This is done through an ideal business environment with a high culture of awareness and neutrality in the procedures of buying and selling in all economic sectors, following the highest international standards and practices, where these results confirm the active role played by the Department in preserving consumer rights, and the extent to which it can educate consumers and enhance the economic and commercial position in the emirate.
When it comes to the legal aspect, Hamad Omar Al Midfa, Deputy Director Legal Affairs Department at SEDD, pointed out that SEDD has contributed to the development of economic activities in the emirate. This is clearly stated by launching several initiatives that will enhance the business environment in the emirate, while at the same time attracting citizens to be a key and important partner in the business sector. He clarified that the Department has provided the service of "real beneficiary" as part of the department's efforts to achieve international standards and implement the requirements of Cabinet Resolution No. 58 for 2020 on the organisation of real beneficiary data.
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