Shameful wastage of food must stop

Readers applaud the food-bank initiative. other topics: India, littering, debt

Readers applaud the much-needed initiative to reduce food wastage. Silvia Razgova / The National

I applaud the UAE's initiative to set up a food bank to reduce food wastage (New UAE food bank will help the needy, the Vice President declares, January 4). I hope that a similar scheme will be started in Abu Dhabi, as the food waste here is just phenomenal.

Anyone who brunches at any restaurant in the capital can see the huge amount of perfectly good food that has to be thrown away at the end of every session, and I often wonder how it could be recycled. I hope that all the restaurants here get behind any such initiative, because such wanton waste is almost shameful in a world where so many go hungry.

Liz Jones, Abu Dhabi

It was about time. The amount of food wastage in this country is unbelievable. I am very happy to hear that finally something is going to be done to address this matter.

Amitis Etemadi, Dubai

I had always wondered what happened to the leftover food at big hotels and why it couldn’t be shared with the less fortunate. I am glad the idea has come forward.

Sam Bay, Dubai

Indian minister’s remark is awful

I refer to the story Indian minister blames 'western dress' for assaults on women (January 4). It is the mindset of primitive, uneducated and complex-ridden people like this minister that creates a society tolerating violence against women. He should definitely resign, but given that current misogynist government, he probably will get away with it. Disgraceful.

Wiltrud Matthes, Dubai

What does he define as a western woman’s mindset? How does he know what western women think? Western women and men do not tolerate this kind of depraved behaviour. What an ignorant little man, to try to blame sexual harassment by his own countrymen on “western” ways.

Lisa Justice, Dubai

If that’s true, how come not all women across the planet are attacked in the summer months? How come in countries where women are fully covered attacks still happen? This man’s ideology is flawed.

Tanya Milbourne, Abu Dhabi

City centre is littered too

Despite the many letters about littering that have been published in your newspaper in the past, little is being done to address this issue.

It’s not only the picnic sites, the city centre is always littered with cigarette ends, paper and plastic cups, tissues and bottles.

While the municipality spends a fortune planting trees and putting in flower beds around the city, people are bent on destroying these beauties with their carelessness.

Nobody seems to care how badly this reflects on the city.

It could be a great source of income for the authorities if they enforced the law and fined people for littering. Perhaps then the city would have looked cleaner.

Jeremy Weeks, Abu Dhabi

Question on company rules

I can't understand why any company would refuse something as simple as a salary transfer letter unless you have worked for five years (The Debt Panel: British project manager owes Dh245,000 and cannot consolidate his debt without a salary transfer letter, January 5).

How many people even stick around that long at a workplace these days? Is this common? I wonder what’s the rationale behind such a policy. I think it’s worth checking into any other rules they may have that will make life needlessly difficult for you.

Jerusha Sequeira, Dubai