- MCI running without any development budget
Union Council (UC) 43 Chairman Rana Muhammad Ashfaq, after failing to lease out advertised tender for the collection of ‘professional’ tax from the markets of sector I and H of the federal capital, has now started issuing birth, and death certificates, and registering marriage and divorce for the cause of collecting tax for strengthening union council and to run day-to-day affairs.
Rana Muhammad Ashfaq, when contacted, said that earlier he had advertised in a daily national newspaper for open bidding for the collection of professional tax from the shops, malls, hotels, bakeries and other business shops 1000/1500 per month and per year depends on their businesses with the approval of Mayor Sheikh Anser. But later, the chief metropolitan officer (CMO) has barred us, he added.
He said that as the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has failed so far to grab the development budget, hence, according to the MCI regulation, he requested National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to provide him with the necessary equipment for issuing birth, and death certificates, and registering marriage and divorce as it falls under the jurisdiction of every UC chairmen, he said.
He said that “NADRA had installed the computer at my office and scheduled to give the papers on Monday, and then I’ll start issuing certificates for the purpose of tax collection”.
Earlier, two union council (UC) chairmen in the federal capital have imposed taxes on citizens and one has also awarded a contract for a cattle market to fund their UCs since the federal government did not give the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) funds in the development budget for this fiscal year.
Similarly, the Saidpur UC chairman had awarded an illegal contract worth Rs12.7 million for a cattle market and of collecting toll tax from citizens through a contractor, and the Malpur UC chairman had started collecting toll tax on Shahdara Road in order to fund their UCs since the capital did not give MCI funds for this fiscal year
On July 11, the Chief Metropolitan Officer (CMO) Asad Mehboob Kayani wrote to both the UC chairmen and barred them from collecting illegal taxes and directed the Saidpur UC chairman to withdraw the contract for the cattle market as only the MCI can award contracts.
“It is to inform that under the fourth schedule, part II of the ICT Local Government Act 2015, these tax collections come under the jurisdiction of MCI. Hence, the above-referred work orders issued to contractors is unlawful. Therefore, you are advised to immediately stop the cattle/goat mandi, toll tax collection and withdraw the work orders issued to contractors,” reads CMO’s letter to the UC1 chairman.
The letter addressed to the Malpur UC No 3 chairman says: “It has come to our notice that two UC chairmen [have] awarded contract of tax collection, besides, awarding contract of cattle mandi, this is illegal step and violation of local government act, so today we have written letters to both chairmen to immediately stop this illegal activity”.
Saidpur UC1 Chairman Sheeraz Kayani, while talking to Pakistan Today, said that he had awarded the contract in ‘good faith’ after the prior approval of Mayor cum CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz.
He said that in the MCI session of March 29, the mayor had delegated the power of tax collection to UC chairmen but don’t know why he changed his decision afterwards.
Later, the CMO issued a circular and barred us from collecting tax; he said, adding that he had also started issuing birth, death certificates for the purpose of tax collection.
“We [UC chairmen] have not been given offices, staff and salaries [as approved] except the appointment of one secretary, so from where we can run our daily affairs?” he questioned.
MCI opposition leader Ali Awan said that there are no rules of business defined yet, no budget allocation, UC chairmen are running their UC’s on their own.
“If not now, then when will the government provide MCI with a grant? and if does, then there are no rules under which it can be distributed for development programmes. 20 UC’s are running sans any office, staff, what to say about the fund? The mayor has to pay attention to the MCI from his busy routine of chairmanship of CDA, otherwise, MCI will collapse,” he cautioned.
When contacted, MCI Spokesperson Mazhar Hussain said that the MCI budget is in process and will be allocated soon.