Growing culture of delayed payments
Dear Sir,
A number of new companies are being incorporated in Qatar every day these days, hoping to do good business based on positive projections of development in the country. Many of these companies can be categorised as small to medium.
New enterprises face many challenges which they only discover after the start of their operations. There is one serious problem in Qatar which is growing day by day and that is the delay in payments for the work or services being performed by companies.
For all work orders or jobs, contracts are signed between the parties where the terms of payment are defined. Unfortunately, there is a total disregard for the contracts by most companies and they regularly default in payments.
Strangely enough, many defaulting companies are large and reputable. They claim that because of non-payments from their main contractors or investors/developers they are not able to settle the payments. As this vicious circle goes on, the big enterprises and developers get away with defaults easily.
The major sufferers are the small enterprises who are practically doing the real development work as they take the job at very low rates and margins from main contractors. In essence, very small and medium enterprises are indirectly financing the major development works in the country. This is a real exploitation of small companies.
One can say that recourse is available for the alleviation of the sufferings through the Qatari courts but all know that once you follow that route, the process will take not only long time and funds but it also risks future business deals due to negative reputation in the market. Consequently, the small and medium companies quietly suffer.
The problem has become so chronic (defaults in over 90% cases) that many such small companies are on the verge of bankruptcy as they in turn default in payments to their suppliers or, in many cases, are unable to continue operation due to lack of funds.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry looks into such problems and recommends legislation for protecting not only the big businesses but also the small entrepreneurs as well. However, this matter had been previously brought to the chamber’s attention and its officials admit that this is a problem which has become a norm in Qatar. In their opinion it is just a business risk for the companies! Such a huge business risk is not really a positive sign.
If the small and medium businesses are to be encouraged to develop in this country, some legislation or forum for quick redressal of the sufferings of the affected companies is highly desirable.
Ignoring the problem will send negative signals to new entrepreneurs and will keep resulting in many small businesses going bust or into liquidation. Honouring an agreement or contract is a sacred obligation in Islam and as a Muslim country, Qatar should see to it that the dictum is followed.
I hope and pray that authorities in the country take a note of this problem and act swiftly to maintain a healthy business atmosphere. Comments from Gulf Times readers with their experience and possible solutions would be welcome.
Munir Ahmad, [email protected]
Failure of IPCC models
Dear Sir,
The editorial, “UN panel on climate change needs reform” (Gulf Times, September 28), has skipped key issues related to global warming. The main problem with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections has been their inability to support the underlying hypothesis that anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are responsible for global warming. The hypothesis and assumptions built into the climate models predict an increase in global temperatures.
However, actual temperature data does not corroborate the hypothesis as there has been no significant warming for over a decade and a half. These models also fail to account for much higher global temperatures recorded in recent history in several studies across the world. This includes the medieval warming period.
In brief, IPCC models have failed. For any scientist and indeed to anyone with a scientific bent of mind, this is a failure of the theory behind the global warming propagated by IPCC.
Additionally, several scientific flaws and failures of past projections to match reality have seriously damaged IPCC’s credibility. Besides the call for reforms, we need to ask the fundamental question: is IPCC really required and for what?
Jameel Ahmad Khan [email protected]
Heart of the matter
Dear Sir,
The article, “Clear myths to ensure a healthy heart” (Gulf Times, September 28) was timely. The World Heart Day every year falls on September 29.
The article quoted a doctor as saying that “weightlifting and gym exercises are not necessarily good for your cardiovascular health”. But a body with muscles can burn calories and bad cholesterol better than the one lacking muscles. Aerobic exercises such as walking, running, swimming and cycling are indeed good for health. Nonetheless, they cannot help build muscles.
Aerobics should ideally be supplemented with proper weight training exercises for at least twice a week.
But remember that regular exercise alone cannot guarantee a healthy heart as smoking and excessive drinking besides improper food habits could cause heart ailments. Obesity caused by fatty food and carbonated drinks is rather common among schoolchildren.
One should also learn to take life as it is. Negative thinking, a nervous disposition, being worried about future and brooding over the past also may result in heart-related diseases. So one should live for the present.
In short, health is nothing but the physical, mental and social well-being of a person.
C Robinson, [email protected]
Physical and spiritual heart
Dear Sir,
The World Heart Day, which was observed yesterday, seeks to remind us of simple measures (like healthy eating, regular exercise, stopping smoking and other vices, etc) that can be taken to prevent heart disease. Nonetheless, sometimes further actions are needed to help treat congenital heart problems.
Recently documented efforts by a charity in Qatar to provide free-of-charge heart surgeries in Yemen as part of its long-standing commitment to help people globally can help us reflect upon our own hearts in several ways. Such surgeries not only provide immediate relief to those benefiting but also help them to avoid any Islamic Shariah concerns that may still persist in some communities regarding the permissibility of organ transplants should the state of their heart be left untreated and require such extreme measures.
Amazingly, one’s heart continuously pumps more than 7.5 litres of blood through a network approximately 97,000km long during its daily 100,000 beats. The physical heart takes shape and starts beating before the brain is formed and without any central nervous system.
Within Islam and other global faiths, the importance of the spiritual heart can never be truly overestimated. Allah (SWT) says: “On that day neither wealth nor children will benefit the human being, only the one who brings to Allah a sound heart” (Qur’an 26:88-89).
Personally, I’m motivated to remind others of such matters regarding the physical and spiritual heart as it has been five years, though not via Qatar Charity, that my congenital heart difficulties were thankfully and largely resolved through surgery. My message on World Heart Day is: Don’t take your heart, any parts of your body or your life for granted.
Jamal al-Din Belke, [email protected]
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