CDGK to impose land charges on KESC, PTCL

KARACHI - An important meeting of City governments high-ups including revenue generation, finance and work and services departments held few days back, reviewed the progress of revenue of City government and took some bold and important decisions to increase the revenue of CDGK, informed sources revealed to The Nation on Sunday. The meetings was chaired by administrator Fazal-ur-Rehman. He directed the officers to take the issue of financial constraint seriously and use all available resources to increase the revenue of CDGK, sources said. The meeting took some following important decisions to increase the revenue of the City government including detailed audit of the assets, liabilities, income and expenditures of Pre-Stressed Pipe Factory and Asphalt plant, auctioning shops and offices of CDGK parking plaza, issuance of land utilisation charges to KESC, SSGC, PTCL, entertainment tax on cinema houses and some other measures. The Pre-Stressed Pipe Factory, formerly managed by KDA, and Asphalt Plants of the Works and Services were discussed at length in the meeting. Sources said that it was decided that detailed audit of assets, liabilities, income and expenditures of the pipe factory and asphalt plants would be reviewed. And in this connection a committee comprising EDO Finance and Planning Group of Offices, EDO Revenue, EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion (E&IP) and EDO Works and Services Department was constituted to prepare feasibility report for public and private partnership in respect of the CDGK Asphalt Plant and the Pre-Stressed Pipe Factory. It was also decided in the meeting that land utilisation charges will be issued to different utility agencies including KESC, SSGC and PTCL within a week. In this regard, District Officer Marketing Najamuddin Sikandar had directed to take initiatives as soon as possible, sources said. The administrator Fazal-ur-Rehman directed the EDO Revenue to achieve the set target of the amount of out-door advertising. However, local tax department had collected Rs390 million so far but efforts to be made to achieve the target of Rs500 million before June 30, 2010. Fazl also directed the EDO Revenue to start levying entertainment tax on cinema houses within the City district governments jurisdictions on urgent basis. It is also decided in the meeting that recent auction of 34 shops and 5 spaces in Liaquatabad Super Market, conducted by the Estate Department, Revenue Group of offices, CDGK be cancelled and action be taken against the officers of Estate Department of City government who were involved in the low bidding, sources said. The administrator also directed the EDO Revenue that the auctioning of shops and other spaces in CDGK Parking Plaza in Lines Area should be initiated on top priority basis, they said. It was also decided in the meeting that special campaign for recovery will be started for the long standing dues in the head of the land lease charges (also of the renewal of lease) in old Karachi areas especially Civil Lines, Saddar, Frere Town and other areas. In this regard, services of senior and experienced officers will be utilised. Fazl directed Finance and Planning and Revenue Departments that the proposal of introduction of Sea Tax to be finalised taking into consideration the levy of infrastructure tax by the government of Sindh. They said that administrator Fazal-ur-Rehman during the meeting made it clear that it was the duty of the revenue generation departments to realise the situation of the required funds for timely payments of salaries of the City government employees every month. He emphasised the need for strict financial discipline and minimising the non-development expenditures. Fazl issued instructions to the revenue generation departments for preparations of daily recovery position and submit to the Finance and Planning Group of the offices. The administrator CDGK said that he will hold meeting every fortnight to personally monitor the working of the revenue generation departments and also the efforts for achieving the given target, sources said. Meanwhile, the EDO Finance and Planning Group of offices Naila Wajid informed the meeting that short recovery of dues towards the fixed target by the revenue generation departments and short release of funds from the government of Sindh were the main reasons for delay in payments of salaries and clearance of other liabilities.