Page 406 - UAE Truncal States_Neat
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The Formation of the Federation
        awaited. At times I he task of amending the existing version or
        drafting the permanent constitution has been given much attention
        by the federal authorities; to this end a joint committee of ministers
        and members of the National Assembly was formed. In July 1976 the
        Supreme Council was presented with the draft of a permanent
        constitution, but decided lo extend the federation’s provisional
        constitution for a further five years from December 1976. It had
        become obvious that such a fundamental revision could unneces­
        sarily undo or bring into doubt many of the compromises on which
        the federation was based. Thus, rather than prematurely enact
        unsustainable constitutional changes, it was deemed preferable to
        continue for the time being with the compromises which had proved
        their worth during the initial years of the federation.


        The main supporting elements of the federation
        The financial base
        Over the ten years of its existence the stability of the federal
        structure has been enhanced by three main factors: firstly financial
        security, secondly a successful foreign policy, and thirdly the gradual
        shift of the balance between local and central administration.
          Of the seven member Emirates of the UAE, three produce oil. but
        Abu Dhabi is by far the most important bread-winner in the family.
        In 1972, when the first federal budget, amounting to Dh.200.9 million,
        was announced, Abu Dhabi’s revenues had reached Dh.2,180.8
        million. In this budget the pattern was set, at least for the first five-
        year duration of the provisional constitution, that Abu Dhabi’s
        contribution provided over 90 per cent of the federal government’s
        financial resources. Even after Dubai agreed to contribute more than
        previously to the federal government’s budget from 1977 onwards,
        Abu Dhabi remained the financier of the Federation in more than one
        respect.
          The federal budget figure was doubled for 1973 to Dh.419.8 million,
        and reached a peak of Dh.13,166.7 million in 1977.140 Expenditure,
        however, never came near the budgeted figures; thus at the end of
        each year considerable surplus funds remained, reaching Dh.591.4
        million (or one fifth of the budget) in 1976. Because Abu Dhabi’s
        contribution, made available to the federal financial authorities, is
        disbursed only as and when the various ministries' expenditure is
        incurred, actual federal revenues have also fallen short of the
        originally budgeted figures. In 1977 the total federal revenue was
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