Latest news with #Employees'
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Japan must not delay pension reforms as Diet passes system revision bill
Measures to stabilize people's post-retirement livelihoods must be steadily implemented in Japan. A bill to revise Japan's public pension system has passed the House of Representatives and is now expected to become law. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito coalition had earlier reached an agreement with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) to add provisions in supplementary clauses to boost basic pension levels. Initially, the government considered incorporating the benefit enhancement plan directly into the bill, but backed down due to resistance from within the LDP. Criticism arose over plans to utilize reserve money from the Employees' Pension Insurance system, with opponents labeling it "a misuse of funds." Some LDP figures also expressed concern that implementing the measure would temporarily reduce pension benefit levels and negatively impact the party's hopes in the summer House of Councillors election. If left unchanged, the current pension system will see basic pension payments decrease by approximately 30% in about 30 years, raising concerns that the number of people expected to face insufficient pension benefits will increase, particularly among the so-called "employment ice age generation," who struggled to find stable employment throughout the post-bubble economy malaise. Given such projected outcomes, the CDP demanded that basic pension-boosting measures be reinstated, a request the LDP eventually agreed to. We can appreciate that the political parties succeeded in reaching consensus as the end of the current Diet session approaches. Still, implementation of these measures comes with certain conditions. The pension-boosting policies would be introduced only if the outlook for pension finances, set to be released in 2029, projects a decrease in basic benefits. Postponing pension reforms and relying too heavily on hopes of economic growth improving pension finances risks future repercussions. Political parties must work rigorously to ensure these pension-enhancement steps are definitively realized. The establishment of solid resources has also been deferred. Currently, half of basic pension benefits are funded through taxes. Over 2 trillion yen (about $13.86 billion) in additional public expenses will be required in the future, yet detailed discussions were avoided ahead of the July upper house election. Unless Japan experiences a substantial expansion in tax revenue at current rates, tax increases inevitably await. Securing public acceptance will take considerable time. Failing to begin serious deliberations promptly cannot be considered a responsible attitude. This revision of the pension system includes additional measures, such as improving coverage for part-time workers and reviewing rules that currently reduce Employees' Pension Insurance benefits for elderly people who remain employed. Despite this revision impacting the daily lives of the public significantly, considerable delays in submitting the bill resulted in insufficient time for Diet discussions. Responsibility clearly rests with the governing parties. Although the three-party talks involving the LDP, Komeito and CDP succeeded in shaping amendments, the Diet ought to formally create platforms enabling participation from all parties. Both ruling and opposition parties must avoid exploiting pension issues for political purposes, but focus instead on ensuring the pension system's viability and sustainability.
Mid East Info
24-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Generative AI Adoption Amongst Dubai Government Employees report published at Dubai AI Week - Middle East Business News and Information
94% of Dubai government employees express optimism regarding the impact of generative AI on the workplace According to the report 'Generative AI Adoption Amongst Dubai Government Employees', published through a partnership between the Dubai Government Human Resources Department and MBRSG: • 97% of generative AI users in the public sector believe they have a positive impact on the government sector. • 89% consider acquiring generative AI skills essential for government employees. • Awareness of AI technologies among government employees is increasing, despite ongoing concerns regarding privacy and the accuracy of AI-generated outputs. • Over half of the government employees who currently use generative AI applications are concerned that their jobs may be impacted by the growing reliance on such technologies. • 83% of government employees support the development and implementation of ethical guidelines for the use of AI. • The extent to which employees are affected by generative AI in government roles is influenced by their academic qualifications. Dubai, UAE – The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR), in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), launched a new report titled 'Generative AI Adoption Amongst Dubai Government Employees' in a special session at Dubai AI Week 2025. Dubai AI Week is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, from 21-25 April 2025, and organised by the Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence and the Dubai Future Foundation. The report is the first comprehensive analysis of the usage, perceptions and potential exposure of generative AI (gen AI) technology by Dubai Government employees, across different departments and at different levels, ranging from senior management to front-line employees. The report is based on a detailed fieldwork conducted between October 2023 and October 2024 with responses received from over 1531 public sector employees across at least 34 government departments in Dubai, along with in-depth interviews conducted with Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers across the AI leading agencies in this field. The report further analyses the likelihood of task automation and augmentation across different job functions, assessing the employee characteristics that predict significant exposure to these impacts. The important study complements global efforts to explore the impact of generative AI on work, primarily within public sector institutions. It aims to inform policymakers and public sector leaders of the adoption trends of generative AI amongst Dubai Government employees and the measures that can be taken to better prepare government agencies and the workforce in general for the challenges and opportunities that arise from working with generative AI applications. His Excellency Abdulla Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director-General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said: 'Empowering government employees to engage with generative artificial intelligence is in line with the vision of our wise leadership and supports our strategic direction toward building a proactive, smart government—one that is flexible, forward-looking, and capable of transforming challenges into opportunities. This reinforces Dubai's leading role in shaping the future of government work.' H.E. added: 'The report 'Generative AI Adoption Amongst Dubai Government Employees,' launched in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, represents a pivotal step in our efforts to build a future-oriented government model rooted in innovation and artificial intelligence. It also affirms that our human capital is well-equipped, efficient, and confident to keep pace with global transformations. At the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, we have developed a clear roadmap to enhance the readiness of government human resources. This roadmap prioritises the development of digital skills, fostering a culture of innovation, and creating a flexible and supportive environment for the integration and effective use of generative AI tools.' His Excellency Al Falasi further emphasised that the findings of the report serve as a practical reference for formulating proactive policies, designing specialised training programmes, and updating work systems, in line with the rapid advancements in this field. H.E. said: 'We firmly believe in the importance of establishing an integrated system for AI governance within the government work environment—one that ensures the ethical and effective use of these technologies, enhances institutional efficiency, and upholds the fundamental principles of privacy and reliability.' For his part, His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, MBRSG's Executive President, said: 'As part of its mandate to equip and empower government leaders, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government remains committed to providing reliable data and resources to inform decision and policymaking across government departments.' 'With its research capabilities, the MBRSG has become a leading center for future of government research, capacity building and public policy consulting. With that in mind, our dedicated AI governance policy research team are once again leading the way, in collaboration with our partners at the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, with a new report that focuses on generative artificial intelligence– a breakthrough that is quickly transforming entire industries, including the government sector,' H.E. Al Marri added. 'The conclusions drawn from this study will be essential in formulating policies that support innovation while ensuring adoption of AI advancements in an inclusive, safe, and ethically guided manner.' The report uncovered important insights on the behaviours, trends, opportunities and challenges associated with the rise of generative AI. For example, an overwhelming majority of public sector employees (94%) are optimistic about the impact of generative AI on government operations. Meanwhile, a majority of users in the public sector (64%) use generative AI at an intermediate or advanced level. Among the users of these applications, nearly all (97%) reported benefits from the use of generative AI for work tasks, including time savings, improved work quality, productivity and increased creativity. Specifically, public sector employees most commonly use generative AI for email drafting, content creation and research processes assistance, with expert users exploring a greater variety and complexity of tasks relying on these technologies. The ground-breaking report also uncovers challenges and widespread concerns, with inaccurate outputs, data privacy issues, biased output and unreliable performance being the top issues reported by public servants in Dubai when using generative AI applications. Furthermore, while most respondents (83%) identify the positive impact of introducing ethical guidelines for generative AI use on work, four out of ten employees lack any awareness of guidelines pertaining to ethical engagement with artificial intelligence in their work. With regards to the potential exposure of public sector jobs to generative AI, over half of government employees (55%) expressed some concern about the job displacement risks that generative AI may pose. Those with higher education levels had lower reported concerns of job displacement. The report also conducts labour market exposure analysis that identifies educational attainment and educational specialization of an employee as the most important predictors of occupational exposure to generative AI technologies. More exposed public sector workers have lower levels of educational qualification and more qualitative specializations (rather than quantitative) degrees of specialization. Ultimately, an employee's highest level of education is the strongest predictor of job exposure to generative AI. Among other AI governance capacity building programs, the MBRSG runs a comprehensive and globally-accredited AI Ethics Assessment executive education program in partnership with the IEEE. This program has qualified over 50 leaders from government and private entities in the UAE with the competencies to evaluate the ethical implications of generative AI. Building on the findings, the study proposes key policy directions. It highlights the need for comprehensive training programs related to generative AI for government employees, ranging from awareness building to specialized competencies, ethical assessments of AI, and governance. It further proposes developing a taxonomy of context-specific public sector generative AI skills and skills evaluation processes, and dynamically update these as the nature of applications and behaviours evolves. The findings suggest that the heavy reliance of generative AI applications on the availability and quality of data demands a collaborative data approach, rather than a competition-based approach, with data, resources and know-how shared with the aim of collective excellence among different Dubai government entities. Finally, the study highlights the strategic importance of practical ethical AI governance to mitigate risks triggered by misuse of generative AI, especially on the fronts of data privacy, bias and quality. In 2023, the Dubai Government Human Resources Department and the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government signed a cooperation agreement to implement a research project aimed at enhancing the role of generative artificial intelligence in government work and strengthening the capabilities of government entities in this field. This partnership seeks to assess the current state of generative AI technologies and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and productivity through training programmes, workshops, and knowledge outputs that support informed decision-making. This strategic step reflects the Dubai government's commitment to adopting advanced technologies and fostering innovation in the public sector. The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government is an academic research and teaching institution focused on government administration and public policies in the Arab world. It aims to support the advancement of government excellence in the UAE and the Arab region through an integrated ecosystem of educational and training programmes, research studies, and initiatives to facilitate the exchange of knowledge among government institutions. As a policy research center for future of government research, the School leads dedicated policy research projects and research teams working on AI governance, AI safety and AI ecosystem enablement.
