KARACHI, June 5: Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Abdul Rauf Siddiqui
said here on Thursday that the provincial government had decided to provide more
relief to the citizens.
He proposed exemption from property tax to the owner of a single/double story
house built on a residential plot measuring up to 120 square yards and the flats
built on an area of up to 600 square feet.
Moreover, he added, single/ double story houses, built on 240 square yards and
rented out for residential purpose, would be taxed at single rate instead of
double rate. Similarly, the flats with covered area of 1,000 square feet and
rented out for residential purpose, would also be taxed at single rate.
The summary of the proposal has been moved for discussion and approval by the
cabinet in its next meeting, according to the minister who was briefing newsmen
at his office. He hoped enforcement of the proposed relief package from July 1.
Mr Siddiqui said that since the prime minister had already announced a relief
package for Landhi and Korangi, the people of these areas as well as
calamity-hit coastal areas of Thatta and Badin districts would also be given
exemption in property tax for a year.
He said that the government had already announced relief in property tax for
widows and retired government employees.
He, at the same time, appealed to the citizens to pay their outstanding dues
prior to June 30 so that they could avail the relief in the next fiscal year.
He informed the newsmen that the E&T department collected Rs4,332 million on
account of different taxes from July 1, 2002 up to April 2003 as against Rs3,900
million last year in the corresponding period last year.