Increase sought in property, water taxes
Friday November 30, 2018
Islamabad: Property and water taxes will be on the rise in the federal capital after the metropolitan corporation (MCI) announced its decision to increase water and conservancy charges, a news source reported. A session in this regard was held at Pak-China Friendship Centre presided over by Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz. The cash-depleted MCI approved 100% and 200% increase in domestic and commercial water charges. It also recommended to revise up property and conservancy charges. A committee has been tasked to finalise the new rates in consultations with treasury and opposition benches. The body incurs expenditures worth PKR 414 million on water supply but only generates PKR 78 million in revenue as the rates have not been revised since 2001. Moreover, it collects PKR 84 million under conservancy charges annually but spends over PKR 2 billion on sanitation. The reported increase in water charges means that the citizens would have to pay PKR 640 as opposed to the present average of PKR 320. MCI is also mulling collecting entry fee at the three entrances and imposing parking fee at recreational places.
