The ticklish issue of property tax, that had been lingering on for the last one year, has been resolved by lowering categories of city's different localities.
This was disclosed by District Nazim Pir Riaz Hussain Qureshi while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
He said under the new property tax formula the assessment went up by as many as ten times or even beyond. This caused resentment among the general public and the traders raised the issue vociferously.
The District Nazim said the business community even resorted to a shutter down. As a result, the minister for excise and taxation assigned him the task to sort out the problem.
At last, he added, the provincial government has agreed to downgrade the categories. Now, he said, most parts of the city have been marked as E category. However, some posh areas still fall under B or C categories.
Riaz Qureshi said in other cities, some 650 people filed writ petitions for the restoration of old formula but their petitions were dismissed.
He said in Lahore also categories have been reduced so that the property tax did not increase manifold but rationally.
The DN said the matter has been referred to EDO revenue who with the consultation of director excise and taxation will notify the downgraded categories within a week.
He said any aggrieved locality-dwellers could approach the department for lowering the category.
The District Nazim lauded the role of City Nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar, trade leader Khawaja Mohammad Shafique and some members of the district assembly for their ceaseless struggle to disentangle the issue.
The director excise and taxation to a question said if any one has paid as per the original plan, his excess amount will be adjusted in the next year's tax.
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