Karachi, KATI President, Faraz-ur-Rehman, recently addressed concerns over the current issues with the online tax payment system. In a meeting with top officials from the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, Government of Sindh, Rehman emphasized the need for improvements to ensure a transparent tax collection process. The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has responded by announcing the establishment of a help desk at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) to assist member industries.
According to a news release by Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Faraz-ur-Rehman warmly received Secretary Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, Government of Sindh, Atif Rehman, and Director General, Aurangzeb Akbar Panhwar. During the session, he expressed appreciation for the online availability of property tax challans. However, he underscored the urgency to address technical issues plaguing the system and reduce human interactions to enhance transparency in tax collection. He further noted that last year, the responsibility of property tax shifted to local government, and the department has been offering guidance and training, set to continue until 2024.
Secretary Atif Rehman clarified the role of the Excise and Taxation Department as solely a revenue collection entity, ensuring that all collected funds are channeled directly to the Sindh government's account. Highlighting the newly proposed help desk's function, Rehman affirmed its primary focus will be on addressing concerns related to property and professional taxes. In due course, issues pertaining to motor vehicle taxes will also be tackled.
When inquired about property tax calculations, Rehman pointed to the availability of an online property tax calculator. He concurred with the suggestion that minimizing human involvement in the calculation process can offer more accurate and satisfactory outcomes. Furthermore, he consented to organizing an awareness session to guide members on using the property tax calculator, ensuring hassle-free calculations.
Addressing infrastructure cess, Rehman provided a fiscal update, revealing that the Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess has amassed approximately Rs30 billion in the first quarter of the year (July-September 2023). In light of this, KATI's president accentuated the importance of allocating a portion of these funds towards the betterment of infrastructure in the Korangi Industrial Area.
The meeting was also graced by the presence of notable individuals, including Deputy Patron-in-Chief KATI, Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Nighat Awan, Vice President Muslim Mohamedi, former Chairmen/Presidents like Masood Naqi, Johar Qandhari, Ehtesham Uddin, Zahid Saeed, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Talha Ali, among others.