The Municipality and Planning Department in Ajman (MPDA), received a delegation from Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), headed by Mohammed Al Hammadi, Director of Ports Control Department, and accompanied by imported food shipment control and inspection officials in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi through the air, land and sea ports, and in the presence of representatives of the Public Health Department of Umm Al Quwain Municipality, and MPDA’s Central Laboratories Department and Department of Smart Services Development, to discuss joint procedures for the control and inspection of imported food shipments, and ways of cooperation and integration of procedures to serve the shared objectives.
In this regard, Mrs. Makiya Hassan Ghuloom, Director of the MPDA’s Public Health Department, explained that the Municipality Department seeks to strengthen its relationship with all its strategic partners in the interest of all and to provide the best services, indicating that the Department participates with ADAFSA in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the services of transferring food shipments within an agreement of partnership that includes joint cooperation in control processes at the level of food safety and animal health, which contributes to achieving common goals and the public interest of the State.
Mrs. Makiya said that the Emirate of Ajman is witnessing a significant growth in the number of food shipments imported through Ajman seaport and shipments transferred from other ports, thanks to the efforts made to facilitate the food trade movement and facilitate control and inspection procedures and logistical, technological and technical equipment to accelerate the release of food shipments and hence enhances food security in the State.
For his part, Mohammed Al Hammadi reviewed the food import and export management system for controlling imported and exported food in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, its characteristics, the purpose of its establishment, the linking with strategic partners, the method of registering companies in the (ATLP) platform of Maqta Gate Company / Abu Dhabi Ports, and the mechanism for importers to submit import requests, make use of other e-services provided to importers, which include the request for export certificate, request for inspection of food shipment and customs declaration, request for referral of food shipments, request for food product registration, request for disposal certificate, in addition to the e-payment of fees, e-undertakings, the companies’ e-tracking of shipment procedures without approaching the Authority, receipt of sample results and electronic re-analysis according to the best modern technologies and international practices, which supports the orientation and objectives of emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The meeting opened the door for discussion and interaction about joint procedures with the Emirate of Ajman and the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain to facilitate the food trade movement and ensure that food shipments conform to the State’s approved specifications and regulations. Discussions also took place on ways to electronically link between the imported food shipment control and inspection E-Systems between the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Emirate of Ajman and the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, which supports easy access to, and use of data in making the decision to release imported food shipments according to the approved food risk assessment system.
For his part, Eng. Abdullah Al-Tamimi, Director of MPDA’s Central Laboratories Department, confirmed the readiness of the laboratories to link and integrate with the procedures for the sanitary release of imported food shipments, which supports the shipment control and inspection procedures and the food risk assessment system for food items based on the latest food inspection devices and technologies to ensure their conformity with the approved specifications and regulations.
The attendees stressed the importance of electronic linking processes and access to unified federal databases for food registration and classification, laboratory analysis results, and control and inspection procedures that support the decision taken in inspecting food shipments and contribute to enhancing the food security in the State. It was agreed to continue periodic meetings to complete the electronic linking phases and make use of the E-Systems in the three emirates.
