Daily Times

KARACHI: The caretaker Sindh government refused the right of issuing milching animals’ health certificate and collecting the related tax to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

According to Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001 and SLG Act 2013, it was decided that KMC would be given rights to issue health license to milching animals’ owners but the matter remained unresolved during the past two government tenures.

According to Local Government Department (LGD) Secretary, the matter would now be resolved by the next elected government.

KMC officials said that the former Sindh government on one pretext or another could not resolve this issue which was declared ‘right of civic entity.’

The KMC Veterinary Services Department is functioning under the SLG Act 2013 which states that maintaining cattle sheds is the responsibility of KMC.

The officials revealed that the current annual revenue of this segment of tax stood around Rs 45 million whereas the actual revenue collection on this head stood around Rs 2 billion per annum.

In January 2018, Secretary Local Government had also assured Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar that the right to collect tax would be handed over to KMC.

The right to collect tax on milching animal’s health certificate had been wrongly granted to District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Malir.

According to KMC officials, Ramzan Awan had asked KMC to hand over three cattle sheds to DMC Malir in return for licensing rights.

Municipal Commissioner KMC had also assured KMC for this tax collection right through a letter issued on November 29, 2017.

A meeting on transfer of cattle sheds on the Aansoo Goth Road 8 and 9 and withdrawal of CP D-4300 of 2017 filed by KMC against DMC Malir was held between KMC and DMC Malir in December, 2017, but the meeting remained fruitless and no consensus was reached.

In the meantime, KMC was legally obligated to withdraw CP D-4300.2017 filed against DMC Malir, which was pending before Sindh High Court.

Chairman DMC Malir Jan Muhammad Baloch, acting Municipal Commissioner KMC Dr Asghar Abbass Shaikh, Municipal Commissioner DMC Malir Imran Aslam Khan, Chairman Veterinary Committee KMC Syed Muzzamil Shah, Director Taxation DMC Noor Muhammad Baloch, Deputy Director Taxation DMC Malir Abdul Rashid Qazi and law officer DMC Malir Abdul Hafeez Shaikh attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Shakir Umer Gujjar, President Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association claiming DMC Malir was collecting this tax illegally and requested National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action against DMC Malir.

According to NAB, investigation was underway and Rufi Shahzad was appointed as the investigating under sign of Shafqat Mehmood, Additional Director for DG, NAB Karachi.

Acting Secretary LGD, Mansoor Sheikh was of the opinion that this issue could only be resolved through an elected government as it needed political and socio-economic will of the government.

Published in Daily Times, June 12^th 2018.