This would help the KMC to generate around Rs.9 billion annually.
Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a joint meeting of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and K-Electric on Wednesday decided to evolve a mechanism to collect two of the KMC taxes through electricity bills so that recovery could be ensured.
The meeting was attended by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Administrator Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Murtaza Wahab, Secretary Energy Abu Bakar, CEO KE Monis Alvi, Director KE Haris Jamil and other concerned.
Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab briefing the chief minister said that the KMC has 13 taxes to collect from the people of the city living in KMC limits. “Out of 13 taxes, the KE may collect only two taxes Fire Tax and Conservancy tax through its bills,” he said and disclosed that the KMC hardly collected Rs.220 million annually from both the taxes.
The KMC administrator proposed that the KE may collect Rs.100 to Rs.200 as Fire Tax and Conservancy Tax from 2.5 million consumers through its electricity bills every month. He added that this would help the KMC to generate around Rs.9 billion annually.
The chief minister said that he was working to strengthen the local bodies of Karachi financially stable so that they could serve the citizens from their own resources. “The KMC used to be a well-off organization but from last one decade it has crippled financially,” he said.
The KE chief, Moonis Alvi said that they have no objection to collect the taxes on behalf of the KMC but he would have to seek permission from the federal government. At this the chief minister said that he would get him [KE] necessary permission from the federal government. “This is a government work and aimed at improving the performance of the KMC and I am sure they [fed govt.] would support us,” he said.
The chief minister directed Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh to get the paperwork done for the federal government permission.
Murad resolves KMC, KDA disputes on parking lots
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali chaired a meeting to resolve the disputes between Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Karachi Development Authority (KDA) over parking lots and directed them to withdraw their cases from the courts.
The meeting was attended by Local Govt. Minister Nasir Shah, Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab, Special Secretary Local Government Khalid Chachar, DG KDA Asif Memon and Director KDA Khalid Masror.
Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab told the meeting that a dispute between KMC and KDA was going on in the court over the ownership of a parking lot at Bara-Dari which has been rented out to a local [PC] hotel for Rs.3.5 million annually. Local government Nasir Shah said that the plot belonged to the KMC and the defunct city district government had constructed the underground parking lot. He added that in those days the KDA was a part of the city government. Now the matter is in court from last many years and the rent was being deposited in the court. At this the chief minister decided that the land on which underground parking has been developed belonged to the KMC, therefore the area should be taken over by KMC.
Murtaza Wahab said that another dispute between the KMC and KDA was over the ownership of Parking Plaza at Saddar. Local Government Minister Nasir Shah said that the land on which Parking Plaza has been constructed belonged to KDA and expenditures incurred on the constructions were taken out from the city government funds. At this the chief minister decided that the owner of the land was the KDA, therefore the parking Plaza should be given to the KDA.
The chief minister said that both the organizations, KMC and KDA belonged to the people of Karachi therefore they should work for the betterment of people instead of indulging into legal battles.
Another matter which came under discussion was the allotment of advertisement spots and their revenue collection. The KMC and DMCs have disputes on such issues. At this the chief minister said that there was a massive pilferage in the advertisement revenues. He suggested the local government department to constitute a central organization to deal with advertisement and then share the collection as per the share of the DMCs.
It was pointed out that the Urban Design Department of KDA has been working in SBCA. The chief minister directed the KDA to de-notify them and ask them to report back to the KDA.
Local Government Minister Nasir Shah pointed out that the parks of KMC and DMCs were in dilapidated condition. He added that those which have been restored were facing ownership issues. At this the chief minister decided that the parks of the local bodies should be outsourced for their maintenance and ownership.
The chief minister on the request of the local government minister vowed to give a grant to the KDA to bail it out of the present financial crisis. He added that he had given Rs.500 million grant to KDA last year.
Shah directed KDA to remove encroachments from its lands and develop their projects in the public interest and in its financial interest. (PR)
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