Cabinet approves graphic tobacco warning pictures

posted on 01/11/2011: 69 views

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai yesterday chaired the Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace here in Abu Dhabi.

H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs were also present.

Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that strengthening the global competitiveness of UAE is a national responsibility involving the government's efforts at both federal and local levels with the private sector, stressing the need to coordinate these efforts for the benefit of the nation.

During the meeting, the new organisational structure of the "Emirates Competitiveness Council" was approved with Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State as its head.

Secretary-General of the Executive Council in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain will be the member in addition to a representative of the Ruler's Court in each of the emirates of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. Director General of the National Statistics Centre and representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Economy will also be the member of the council.

The Cabinet also approved a federal legislation reorganising the translation profession in the state commensurate with the rapid legal and economic developments locally and in line with regional and international legislation in this area.

According to law any person involved in intentionally changing the facts in the course of translation and bringing harms to others will be imprisoned for two years. The meeting also approved a new standard obligating the owners of brands of tobacco to place warning pictures on the packaging of tobacco not less than 50 percent of the area of the box, and prohibit the use of any words that would reduce the risk of tobacco products.

The Cabinet also adopted the budget of the Insurance Authority for 2012 with a total revenues of Dh71 million and total expenses of Dh65 million and also adopted the budget of the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities, in addition to the final accounts for a number of independent bodies in the state.

In the context of the ongoing support for the aviation sector in the State, the cabinet approved a set of air services agreements with a number of countries including Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Zambia, Djibouti, Estonia and Kyrgyzstan.

It also approved the state's membership to the "Beijing Agreement " on the suppression of unlawful acts relating to international civil aviation. - Emirates News Agency, WAM

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