Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has miserably failed in collection of long pending water taxes amounting to Rs 41.5 billion from around 1.84 million commercial, industrial and domestic consumers, officials of the entity revealed.

So far, KWSB has received Rs 2.05 billion during four months of fiscal year 2017-18, from the target of Rs 9.03 billion, the officials informed.

In the last fiscal year, KWSB only managed a tax collection of Rs 4.58 billion, equivalent to around 11 percent of the total water dues, they said. During July-October 2017, the entity received 9 percent of the target collection on the back of poor management and corrupt practices in collection and other departments of the entity, they revealed.

KWSB has launched numerous ‘collection drives’ in the last few years but all had failed due to mismanagement and corruption in the office, it was reported.

KWSB Spokesperson Rizwan, while commenting on the huge backlog of water dues, said the entity was now seriously considering a viable policy for the recovery of dues.

KWSB Managing Director Akthar Ghouri, after taking charge of the office in August 2017, has vowed for the swift recovery of water dues, the spokesperson added.

During fiscal year 2016-17, only 16 percent of dues were recovered from Korangi industrial estate zone, 14 from percent F B Area, 13 percent from North Karachi industrial zone, 10 percent from Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, 6 percent from assorted consumers, 37 percent from bulk consumers, 3 percent from Cattle Colony, 24 percent from Landhi Industrial Area, 7 percent from federal, provincial and civic bodies and zero percent from 67 wings of now defunct Karachi City District Government.

The major defaulters include: departments of government of Pakistan, Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim Authority, Karachi and Clifton Cantonment Boards, Malir Cantonment Board, Export Processing Zone, House Building Finance Corporation, National Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan Stock Exchange, Customs Sports Complex F B Area block- 15, State Life Insurance Corporation, commercial banks, Grand Leisure Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Sindh Government Departments, Governor House, Chief Minister House, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Limited, District Jail Malir, District Council Karachi, Gharo village, Bilal Nagar Dhabeji, Union Council Jangshani, Deh Khakharo Poultry State & Poultry Estate Deh Taiser, Ralli Brothers Limited, Premier Insurance Company, Aladdin Park & Shopping Mall, New Broadcasting House and other private enterprises and domestic consumers.

In addition, KWSB had also failed to recover water and other dues from agriculture land owners in suburbs, nurseries, education and health institutes, wedding halls, cattle ponds, offices and shops.

Meanwhile, KWSB, from the target of Rs 1.85 billion in FY-2017-18, only recovered Rs 250 million in four months, it was revealed.

Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Veterinary Services Senior Director Dr Farooq has said that bulk water connection of KMC Slaughter House at New Karachi had been disconnected on non-payment of Rs 2 million.

“Though we had requested KWSB that KMC was trying to pay the maximum amount it can of the total dues within a short period, the water connection of slaughter house was still disconnected.”

“Availability of water is important for slaughter house but after disconnection of water supply, we have closed down the slaughtering activity,” he informed.

He said that Karachi mayor also asked KWSB managing director for relief in payment of water dues but his request was not acceded.

Published in Daily Times, November 15^th 2017.