Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) leading a delegation, visited the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and held a meeting with Yasir Farhad, Director Municipal Administration MCI to discuss the issue of the signboard tax rate for the traders. Ajmal Baloch President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Khalid Chaudhry former Senior Vice President ICCI, and others were in the delegation.

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI said that the business community is not against the payment of taxes, however, MCI should finalize all taxes in consultation with the stakeholders to save the traders from unnecessary tax burden. He proposed that the MCI should consider a fixed signboard tax rate of Rs.20/per sq. ft. for small traders or make it affordable for them. He further said that MCI should take the stakeholders into confidence about the property tax, water and sanitation charges as well as solid waste management fees to make them affordable for the taxpayers.

Ajmal Baloch President All Pakistan Anjamun-e-Tajiran and Khalid Chaudhry former Senior Vice President ICCI also shared the concerns of the traders about the increase in taxes of MCI and said that high tax rates should be rationalized to reduce the tax burden on traders and facilitate the growth of trade activities.

Addressing the delegation, Yasir Farhad, Director Municipal Administration MCI said that the proposals of ICCI delegation would be given due consideration. He said that MCI wants signboard tax @ Rs.60/per sq. ft. He said that the main reason for increasing taxes is to reduce the gap between the revenue and expenses of MCI to provide better services to the citizens.