Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the secrecy and confidentiality maintained during the recent census has made it more dubious, as even if the census figures being publicised now are actually correct, all stakeholders have serious doubts over the credibility of the census data as the entire process has been carried out in a secretive manner.

Speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, the chief minister said that at the time of commencement of census, he approached the Ministry of Statistics being headed by Ishaq Dar and advised to publicise the data by sharing a copy of all the details at least with heads of the families who were providing information about the number of family members, but “we were told that it was a highly confidential data and if we have any issue, a complaint should formally be lodged with the department concerned”.

During his visit to the Karachi chamber, Murad Ali Shah was accompanied by some of the key ministers of the Sindh cabinet, including Minister for Industries and Commerce Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Minister for Planning & Development Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, Minister for Excise & Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro and Minister for Transport & Mass Transit, Labor, Human Resources and Information Nasir Hussain Shah.

Referring to the infrastructure issues raised by Karachi chamber, the chief minister said that the Sindh government was well cognizant of all these issues and was taking steps to provide relief to the citizens of Karachi. In this regard, a sum of Rs 10 billion was allocated last year for the development of Karachi, of which Rs 7.5 billion were utilised in different projects, which included revamping of Shahrah-e-Faisal and reconstruction of Tariq Road and University Road, construction of underpass at Drig Road and many other projects, which have either been successfully completed or were nearing completion.

He said that the local government was also given a sum of Rs 8 billion for development work but no major project had been completed by them, while the performance of the Sindh government was in front of everyone. The Sindh government was providing sufficient funds as per needs and at the earliest to the local government so that they could smoothly carry out the development work in Karachi, which was the economic engine of Pakistan, he said. “We want to work in association with the local government but they must deliver,” he added.

Murad Ali Shah, while accepting Siraj Teli’s invitation to attend an event being staged to mark 20 years Businessmen Group and the work done by PPP for development of Karachi, said that the entire Sindh cabinet of Pakistan People’s Party would jointly celebrate 20 years of Businessmen Group with 22,000 members of the Karachi chamber. “You people just inform us about the date for celebrations and, God willing, we all will be there,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Businessmen Group Chairman and former KCCI president Siraj Kassam Teli pointed out that the federal government, instead of enhancing tax collection through direct taxes, raised the number of indirect taxes and allowed FBR to twist arms of loyal taxpayers, which had resulted in plunging the economy into a deep crisis.

Slamming the FBR for constantly harassing the business and industrial community, he advised Sindh Board of Revenue Chairman Khalid Mehmood and Adviser Mushtaq Kazmi to refrain from introducing such tactics at the board which were grossly used by the FBR to further squeeze the existing loyal taxpayers. “Instead of harassing the taxpayers to enhance revenue collection, the board should demand fair taxes only, which, I am sure, the business and industrial community would willingly contribute,” he added.

Published in Daily Times, September 22^nd 2017.