Resistance to VAT
Making way for small change, after VAT, does make a lot of difference for those households with limited income, where every penny counts (“No small change even in UAE banks and hypermarkets”, Gulf News, January 8) It takes each drop of water to fill a pitcher. A hole in that pitcher definitely is painful. A probable solution would be to introduce smaller denomination like that of five, 10 or 15 fils. This can make a huge difference for many families. It will also avoid exploitation by shopkeepers. The other possibility could be to use your credit cards to save your hard earned money. A change is difficult and resistance to change is always there.
From Ms Reema Ahuja
Dubai
VAT is the impact?
The implementation of VAT has so far not had a huge impact on the household budget but there is an issue of precise pricing. Unlike the Euro for instance, the Dirham does not have low denominations such as 10 or 15 fils coins. Yet most retailers, after charging VAT, produce bills which require the payment of 35, 60 or 80 fils. As there is no option of paying accurate change and one is forced to round up the figure and pay the cashier. These small amounts do add up and are going forward. I believe this issue will worsen.
From Mr Ali Mohammad Talib
Sharjah
No more outside coffee!
If you are so concerned about small change, then stop having your coffee, sandwiches, lunches and more, outside! It’s just that simple really. Change your habits if you’re not happy with what you’re getting, and stop complaining. The vendor will always make the transaction in his favour. Moreover, there’s a simple solution should you still insist on having your tea and coffee - use your credit or debit card. Everyone, has a credit or debit card nowadays, and you only pay the exact amount, so there is no problem for change problems. Moreover, you’ll also earn points on the card usage right? It is simple and is a win-win situation!
From Mr Ajit Lamba
UAE
Small change, good change
Thanks for the article on VAT and rounding up small change. But I was hoping that you could create awareness about small coins like that of one, five and 10 fils. In my opinion, small change should come back into circulation. These are already minted by UAE central bank but shopkeepers do not keep these small denominations for their convenience. With VAT, it is high time that these coins are used by everyone to get their exact change back. I was wondering if Gulf News can investigate this and figure out how we can get these small coins and use them for purchases. A lot of people would be interested to know.
From Ms Sabina George
Facebook message
Editor’s note: Gulf News did a story on the availability of small change. Readers can visit gulfnews.com/1.2152451 for more details.
Changing the face of the Earth
Climate change is one of the most thoughtful and pressing global challenges with earth-shattering consequences, if ignored. It would bring about disastrous results to the world (“How we know it was climate change”, Gulf News, January 4). To tackle this issue, concentrated effort is of utmost significance as all countries, large and small, have a shared responsibility and a role to play. Though, Pakistan has only one percent of the greenhouse footprint, the country is among the top ten most affected countries on the Global Climate Risk Index (2016), and is facing a number of climate-related challenges, including rising temperatures, unpredictable changes in precipitation patterns, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, recurring droughts and floods, groundwater pollution, rising sea levels, potential for heightened conflicts over water rights between riparian regions, increased health risks due to changes in disease vectors, environmental degradation, especially of water-related ecosystems, declining agricultural productivity etc. The country needs to be committed to playing its role in global efforts for tackling the issue of climate change, and is following the principles therein to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Pakistan needs to strive to become a society that uses less carbon and to achieve an environmentally sound economy, the citizens need to be play a role in forest conservation and rehabilitation, to pushing for renewable energy and sustainable agricultural practice in managing our natural environment in the way that boosts resilience while focusing on local communities.
From Mr Nasir Soomro
Karachi
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