Business community asks MCI to withdraw 300 percent hike in property tax
- June 03, 2020
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (ICCI) has said that business community is not against tax payment but MCI
has increased property tax by 300% in one go, which has increased the difficulties of
business class. Therefore, he urged that the current increase in property tax should be
withdrawn and this tax should be gradually increased by taking the business community
into confidence. He expressed these views while talking to Mian Tariq Latif,
DMA/Director Revenue of MCI during his visit to ICCI. Amir Ranjha, Deputy Director MCI
was also present on the occasion.
Mohammad Ahmad Waheed said that encroachments in markets were not only created
problems for business community, they were also distorting the beauty of markets. He
stressed encroachments from all markets should be removed by taking trade
associations of concerned markets in confidence. He said that the increase in board tax
fee should also be reviewed. He said that a verbal agreement was reached between
DMA and ICCI for a board tax @ of Rs. 60 per square foot, which should be
implemented. Emphasized that sanitation arrangements in commercial and industrial
areas should be further improved and MCI should intensify its efforts to address the
issues highlighted by the business community.
Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President ICCI, Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, Usman Khalid, Zia
Chaudhry, Asher Hafeez, Khalid Chaudhry, Malik Rabinwaz, Nisar Ahmad Langa and
others also highlighted the issues of business community and offered proposals for their
solution.
Mian Tariq Latif, Director Municipal Administration and Director Revenue, Metropolitan
Corporation Islamabad speaking at the occasion said that encroachments from markets
in Islamabad would be removed in cooperation with traders and this process would be
started from Jinnah Supermarket. However, the cooperation of market unions was
needed in this regard. He said that efforts would be made to solve the problems of the
business community through understanding and in this regard a meeting of ICCI
delegation would be arranged with Mayor of Islamabad. He said a joint committee of
the two institutions would be considered to identify important issues and find their
better solutions. He assured that he would fully cooperate with Chamber in resolving
the key issues of business community.