Nafis scheme to be implemented correctly; faking Emiratisation numbers to get Nafis benefits is punishable

The Nafis scheme is a federal initiative to increase the competitiveness of Emiratis and empower them to occupy skilled jobs in the country's private sector. The UAE's Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, last month, had issued a warning after it was found that the companies were reducing the salaries of Emirati jobseekers. These firms reportedly told the Emirati applicants that they would be paid less since the Nafis programme would give them salary top-ups anyway when they get hired.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) also initiated administrative action against an Emirati employer who appointed 43 family members to inflate Emiratisation numbers and benefit from the Nafis programme.

The Nafis programme encompasses a wide range of financial incentives to drive work opportunities for both young and experienced Emiratis in the private sector. The UAE aims to increase the number of Emirati beneficiaries from 75,000 to 170,000 in the next five years, under the programme. The companies have to note that faking Emiratisation numbers to get Nafis benefits is punishable with fines ranging between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 for each bogus Emirati employee. Companies in the UAE with 50 or more employees are mandated to annually raise their Emiratisation rate by 2 per cent of overall skilled jobs. From January 2023, a monthly fine of Dh6,000 will be levied for every Emirati who has not been hired. This works out to Dh72,000 annually.

Private sector companies can register on the Nafis platform, create an account, and submit vacancies and training opportunities for Emirati jobseekers. The process will help them attract, train, and retain national talents while benefiting from Nafis' support and enjoying a package of incentives and privileges offered by the MoHRE. However, hiring Emiratis can be done through any verified and reliable platform, the minister said.

Using Nafis to hire Emirati talent helps accelerate the processes of approvals of the benefits as the platform is electronically linked with other entities in the UAE, including the Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the pension authorities and others.

Nafis benefits according to Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar:

• Emiratis in the private sector enjoy a package of benefits through Nafis. It includes several initiatives, such as a five-year government-backed pension programme.
• The government bears 100 per cent of the pension fund contributions on behalf of employers, with gradual decreases during the remaining four years of the pension fund contributions for many categories of nationals working in the private sector.
• There's also the unemployment benefit, which provides temporary financial support to the UAE nationals who lose their jobs in the private sector due to circumstances beyond their control
• Emiratis also benefit from the Nafis programme during the on-job-training period for a full year, offering them a monthly reward of up to Dh8000.
• The salary support scheme was recently enhanced, with an increased subsidy for five years to Emiratis working in the private sector.
• Those with a salary less than Dh20,000 will be receiving up to Dh7,000 (university graduates); up to Dh6,000 (diploma graduates) and up to Dh5,000 (high school or less than high school graduates). Those with a salary between Dh20,000 and Dh30,000 will be getting up to Dh3,500 (university graduates); up to Dh3,000 (diploma graduates) and Dh2,500 (high school or less than high school graduates).
• The UAE aspires to have the Emirati workforce play an integral part in the success of the companies they join in the private sector.
• Creating strong partnerships between the public and the private sector is one of Nafis programme's main objectives, besides creating equal job opportunities so that that the private sector becomes a key driver of the economic development in the UAE.
• Emiratis are known to prefer the public sector over the private one. However, this trend is changing, thanks to effective policies implemented by the government.
• The Emiratisation drive is supported in two ways. The first is to expand the jobs available to the UAE nationals in the private sector, while the second is aimed at providing financial and non-financial support to Emiratis and incentives to the companies that support them in their career paths, hence retaining them in this vital sector.