Beginning on July 1, the "Shourak" programme enables Emiratis to combine end-of-service rewards while changing jobs.
The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) launched the programme, which translates to "preference" in English, for insured Emiratis who wanted to combine previous and present employment periods in the event of a career switch in order to increase years of service, without incurring any additional costs.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, witnessed the signing of the performance agreement that established Shourak for federal and governmental agencies last year.
Shourak mandated that GPSSA update its work mechanisms to permit insured individuals whose employment service ends and who are eligible for an end-of-service benefit to agree to forgo payment of the value of their end-of-service gratuity for prior service years in favour of merging it with their subsequent service without having to pay the additional costs associated with the calculation formula that is applicable for Emiratis employed in the public and private sectors.
The project assists citizens who work in the public and private sectors by making it easier for them to enlist in the military and keeping them in the service until the point at which they are eligible to receive a retirement pension. According to GPSSA, this is the "ultimate goal" of social and pension insurance participation: to ensure that those who are covered are not burdened in any way, particularly when transitioning into a new career.
