Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
With reference to the Big Texas Barbeque & Waffle House Eating Out review in last week’s issue of GulfWeekly. My friend Kairu from Kenya came with me the other night and enjoyed his first ribeye steak and was blown away when he heard entertainer Rusty Golden.
In his own words: ‘At the Big Texas restaurant in Juffair there is a keyboard and a microphone on a small stage. There is a sign above it that says ‘legend corner’.
A man sits on it and sings the blues. A big man, with a heavy voice who, to some, may seem intimidating at first … until he sits by his keyboard, rattles off a few keys and starts playing and singing and you soon feel his soul.
He transports you to days gone by. It touches you to feel the music, let alone hear it. The same way you felt when you first heard Bob Marley sing No Woman, No Cry, the same way you will feel when Rusty sings it.
He does justice to the legends’ material and will be looked upon as a legend in his own right as he takes the music into the future’.
In a world that is for the most part genuinely ‘fake’, it is rare to find such a genuine artiste and man as Rusty Golden.
Mark D. Rubino, by email.
I was bemused when paying VAT at my morning coffee haunt in Saar on the way to work but found my midday brew in Manama remained the same price as before the introduction of the tax.
It’s only a few fils but as my friend’s Bahraini auntie once told me: ‘if you look after the fils, the dinars will look after themselves’.
A very nice lady at the National Bureau for Taxation put me straight: coffee from the cold store is tax exempt but enjoy the taste from a café and you’ll likely be charged a price with an additional five per cent VAT, if they have displayed their certificate after registering.
Call 80008001 for inquiries and complaints – my call was answered promptly and politely.
Claire Evans, Saar.
In response to the Public Prosecution Office’s orders, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism’s (MOICT) ‘Companies Control’ and ‘Consumer Protection’ Directorates imposed ‘a provisional seizure’ on a vendor levying VAT without displaying a registration certificate following a complaint raised by a citizen.
MOICT affirmed that levying VAT without displaying a registration certificate is a violation to Decree Law no. (48) of 2018 on VAT and a violation to Article 6 of Law no. (35) of 2012 that aim to enhance transparency and mitigate any unfair practices.
MOICT has implemented administrative and legal mechanisms aimed at strengthening consumer protection.
In this regard, MOICT intensified its efforts in monitoring the performance of all commercial establishments, and is committed to reviewing the mechanisms of applying VAT during its trial period.
All registered businesses are reminded to clearly display their VAT registration prior to levying the five per cent VAT, in line with the VAT Law and its executive regulations.
All registered businesses are also legally required to display the final prices of all goods and services – inclusive of tax.
The Tax Invoice should include the full price, followed by the total price to be paid and the amount of tax charged therein as it is a violation to mislead consumers.
MOICT concluded by noting that VAT is a joint responsibility that requires constructive strategic cooperation among three main pillars: the government, businesses and the community. In this context, MOICT continues to urge citizens to report all VAT violations to the National Call Centre on 80008001.
PR & Media Directorate, by email.
Planning to start 2019 with good intentions? Why not gather your friends, family or colleagues together for what is sure to be a fun filled night out at the Movenpick Hotel Bahrain – and support a charity too!
The great cause? All of the proceeds will go towards the BSPCA – running the AWC Shelter and funding the BSPCA free CNR scheme for cats and dogs. For more information, please visit BSPCA.org or our Facebook Group: BSPCA – Official Page.
We look forward to meeting you there!
With best regards,
Ana Foltin, BSPCA.
I am contacting on behalf of the BSCBCD. The mission of the Bahrain Society for Children with Behavioural & Communication Difficulties is to promote lifelong access and opportunity for all individuals with behavioural and communication difficulties, and their families, to be fully participating, included members of their community.
Education, advocacy at all levels, active public awareness and the promotion of research form the cornerstones of the society’s efforts to carry forth its mission.
It is a great pleasure to announce that at our Bi-Annual conference – Untangle Autism (and other neurological conditions) is kindly held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka, President of the Supreme Council for Women.
The dates are set for April 3 & 4.
Untangle Autism is a conference for parents, professionals, and caregivers showcasing how implementing a holistic approach and treating the whole individual can ease the medical conditions and behavioural symptoms common in children, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Information about the conference can be found at www.childbehavior.org/untangleautism2019.html
Dr Rania Al Khalifa, director,
Bahrain Society for Children with Behavioural and Communication Difficulties (Alia for Early Intervention)
