Not a taxing tax
I was a bit concerned when I heard that the UAE is implementing Value Added Tax (VAT) from 2018 onwards (“Businesses told to pay excise tax before November 15”, Gulf News, November 13). After all, one of the main reasons why expats came to the UAE was because of its tax-free policy. My apprehensions subsided after I realised that the five per cent tax is going to be nominal. Moreover, the government assured us that basic things like healthcare, education and accommodation rent are not going to be taxed, which is a big thing, especially for expats. At the same time, taxes on water and power might be a concern for a majority of residents, especially in summer, when electricity and power bills shoot up. The media must use this opportunity to create awareness among residents on how to save energy and water, for the betterment of the environment.
From Mr Suresh M
UAE
Smog chokes the city
At first it appeared that Delhiites had woken up to a misty morning but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case! Deadly smog had choked the city, which raised a state of alarm, both in the Government as well as public circles. The Indian capital was covered in a toxic grey haze with people complaining of breathlessness, headaches, watering of the eyes and other respiratory problems. Gas masks and air purifiers were in demand with the Indian Medical Association calling it ‘a public health emergency’ as the pollution levels reached a new high. Cities of the world beware! Environmental pollution is serious danger and this is indeed a wake-up call! The authorities and the public need to collaborate towards addressing this critical issue and curbing it through control measures to avoid disastrous consequences. It’s never too late. The journey may be long but it has to begin.
From Ms Aditi Gandhi
Dubai
More awareness for children
Children are at an age when they may not grasp the concept of diabetes as a chronic disease and its complications. Health education in schools on the topic of diabetes with special emphasis on healthy eating and healthy lifestyles could be the hallmark in spreading awareness. Parents can contribute by being role models and ensuring that their children eat nutritious food. They should spend time together through physical activities and participating in healthy discussion about family members or a close friend’s suffering from the disease. The media also has an important role to play by showing the cause and symptoms of the disease, its complications and its prevention techniques. These can be projected and screened during popular children’s programmes.
From Mr Utpal Kumar Kataky
UAE
Strong team
Dinesh Karthik is right when he said that the fight is tougher for a rookie to make a comeback in the Indian national cricket team (“Karthik hopes it’s the last of his comebacks”, Gulf News, November 14). No doubt, his excellent domestic tournament performance, during the past two years, have earned him a call back for the national team. He is an energetic player, who can bat at any number and field in every place. We sincerely hope that he gets at least five games at a stretch to prove his worth to the team. Now that Yuvraj Singh is improving his fitness to get back into the team, it may be a Herculean task for him to even retain his place. However, it is true that the present team, under the leadership of Virat Kohli, is the strongest in batting depth, with excellent fielding skills, which has enabled him to conquer every team.
From Ms Janaki Mahadevan
India
Record breaking wins
Congratulations to the Mumbai Cricket Ranji team, which has won the trophy for a record breaking, 41 times, will be playing its 500th match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Since the inception of the Indian National Championship, they have proved to be the best champion team. They never showed any sympathy to any of their opponents on the field. The Tamil Nadu teams would be the best to vouch for this as they seldom win against this mighty team. No doubt that Mumbaikars (people from Mumbai) have always found a place on our National team, in all formats. We are sure they would continue to win to keep up their tradition for decades to come.
From Mr N Mahadevan
India
Not unhygienic
If you try to dry your laundry inside your house, you get mould on the walls and not everybody has the space for a dryer (“Drying laundry in balconies is a cause for concern”, Gulf News, November 9). From an environmental point of view, it saves electricity and resources if we use Nature to dry our clothes. Why should that be unhygienic? Most people in the world do it this way, and it’s not considered to be unhygienic.
From Mr Thomas Janssen
Dubai
Facebook comment
Dry them outside
Drying clothes outside is not unhygienic. In fact, drying them inside the house is far more likely to cause health problems. I find it highly unlikely that wet clothes are dripping from balconies onto people’s houses! Let the workers dry their clothes outside; they have enough to worry about without any added pressure.
From Ms Ruth Henson
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
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