Sindh Minister for Finance Sardar Ahmed told Sindh Assembly during question hour on Tuesday that provincial revenue system was being revamped to make it more efficient, secure and transparent. He said that the system had collapsed after it was devolved to districts and was left in the hands of inexperienced officers and elected members.
He told Heer Ismail Soho, who had asked about the measures that the provincial government had taken to improve the revenue system, that a committee had been set up under experienced retired revenue officials to plan the revenue system in the light of Land Revenue Act. The old system of 'partal' would be given preference in the system.
In response to a supplementary question he said that the present staff was unable to assess crop area which had created a mess in the Revenue Department. It had forced the system to collapse, he added.
During the year 2004-05 total Rs 3745.991 million was collected against the target of Rs 4000 million on account of stamp duty as compared to Rs 3322.346 million collected against the target of Rs 3500 million during 2003-04.
On account of registration fee Rs 637.516 million was collected against the target of Rs 500 million during 2004-05 and Rs 529.213 million against the target of Rs 500 million during 2003-04.
In between the discussion the minister took help from the budgeted figures regarding budget estimates, revised estimates and demand in respect of land tax/agricultural income tax and water rates.
In response to a question from Humour Alwani the chief minister in his written reply said that up to April 2005, excise and taxation department had collected Rs 2920.842 million as cess on Sindh Development and maintenance of infrastructure cess, Rs 1291.889 million as motor vehicle tax, Rs 868.975 million as excise enactment, Rs 133.852 million as professional, calling, trade and employment tax, Rs 36.694 million as hotel tax, Rs 137.026 million as cotton fee, Rs 996.451 million as property tax and Rs 32 million as entertainment duty.
He said that property tax had been devolved to respective towns/councils/talukas under Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2002.
In reply to another question from the leader of the opposition the chief minister in his written reply said that 2.887 million were incurred on the preparation of tax token stickers during 2004-05 at Rs1.65 per sticker for printing 1.750 million stickers.
He said that Rs 5.680 million were spent on the preparation of registration number plates during 2004-05. Eighty thousand number-plates were supplied at Rs 71 per plate. Technoman Furnishers was given work order for stickers and Mehran Electronics was given work order for number-plates.
The session, which was to begin at 9 am, began at 11:30 am. Speaker Muzaffar Hussein Shah was in the chair.