KARACHI: Administrator Karachi  Murtaza Wahab said that receiving Rs 230 million from Karachi Port Trust in form of municipal tax will make KMC financially stable. “This amount will be spent on various development projects of Karachi. Construction of elevated expressway from ICI Bridge to Y Junction is being started at a cost of Rs 14 billion.

Addressing ceremony along with Minister for Ports and Shipping Faisal Sabzwari at Karachi Port Trust headquarters here he said that no institution can run without taxation and development of Karachi is actually development of Karachi Port Trust as it is an important institution of city. He thanked Faisal Sabzwari and KPT Chairman Tariq Huda for payment of money for taking a positive step for improvement of KMC.

Faisal Sabzwari said that KPT has decided in principle that whatever amount is due to KMC should be paid to it. He said that this is for development and improvement of Karachi. Murtaza told about receiving municipality tax in electricity bill that this is not a new tax and it is being collected since 2009, adding that tax has been reduced instead of increased. “A tax ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 200 will be collected,’ he said and added that earlier, Rs 5,000 per unit was used to be collected from industrial zones.

In response to a question he said that some people are trying to create differences in connection with municipal taxes. He said that KMC has only 14,000 employees and he did not recruit even a single person during his tenure. “Before constructing road, we have to fix sewage system and water leakages, then road will be sustainable, he added. Additional Secretary Maritime Affairs Asad Rafi Chandna, Municipal Commissioner KMC Syed Afzal Zaidi, Finance Advisor Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto and other officers were also present.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 17 2022

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