KARACHI, Nov 20: The city government has sought an approval of the federal government for introducing a new tax, called port city user fee, to boost the income of the newly-formed setup.

If the proposed tax is allowed by the federal government, a port user fee would be charged from the importers and exporters at the rate of one or two per cent, said the city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, at a press conference on Tuesday.

The city Nazim, who returned here on Monday night after attending a meeting of the Zila Nazims of Sindh in Islamabad, said the meeting, chaired by president General Pervez Musharraf, discussed the current situation in Sindh and the new local government system. The president told the Nazims that the present system was going to stay and the elections to the provincial and national assemblies would be held in 2002.

At the meeting, he said, he apprised the president about the city’s major issues, such as transport, water, sewerage and solid waste management, and also highlighted the financial and administrative problems being faced by Zila Nazims of the province in getting the local government’s devolution plan implemented.

Referring to the city’s problems, he informed the president that the development plans were suffering owing to paucity of funds because a substantial amount was being curtailed from the matching grant which the federal government had committed to provide while abolishing octroi duty.

Mr Khan had also demanded of the government not to deduct the arrears of electricity charges from Sindh’s local bodies institutions as they were facing financial constraints, besides it was not fair to punish the new leadership.

The Nazim said that though the Zila Councils are empowered under the SLGO-2000 to levy new taxes under the heads of health and education, they are not willing to do so because the services being provided in these two important sectors are quite unsatisfactory

“Since the levy of any new taxes under the heads of health and education sectors would create a resentment among the people, I have requested the federal government to allow the city government to levy two new taxes — a) port user fee and b) road user fee”.

Elaborating, he said since Karachi being a port city had provided the entire infrastructure to its port, but its citizens were not getting a due benefit and as such he had demanded of the government to permit the city government to levy the port user fee at the rate of one or two per cent of import/export duty whereby the government would be able to generate between Rs 3 and 4 billion.

About the proposed road-users fee, he said under this head, motorists would be required to pay paisas 50 at petrol pumps for each litre of petrol/diesel and the amount to be generated under this head would be collected from the oil companies.

Referring to the problems being faced by the Nazims, he informed the president that although both the government and the Nazims want to successfully implement the new devolution plan, it was not heading towards a right direction as bureaucrats who had earlier been discharging their duties like monarchs under the old system had been made subservient to the Nazims overnight under the new system.

Moreover, since a parallel system of authority was still in vogue owing to uncalled for interference from the provincial secretaries, there was a need to first stop interference from the secretaries.

He informed the meeting that though the Nazims could get the DCOs transferred to some other place if they are not satisfied with their working, the nazims have not been entrusted with the powers of taking disciplinary action against the officials of grade-17 and other lower grade employees.

The Nazim also requested the president that as long as police reforms ordinance is not issued, DIGs and SSPs be given instructions in writing that they come under the Nazim and not the DCO as the responsibility of law and order under the new setup is that of the nazim.

He told the newsmen that under the police reforms which were being given a final shape, each district/city police officer would come under the Zila/City Nazim.

With regard to the privileges of town and union nazims, he said that he had urged the government to provide vehicles to them as in this way they would be able to discharge their duties more efficiently and diligently.

At the outset, he said a memorandum, containing suggestions of all Zila Nazims of Sindh, would be sent to the president on Wednesday. Most of these suggestions are aimed at making the new local government’s devolution plan a success, he added.

He said for resolving the transport problem in the city, incentives be given for the import of large buses and the import and customs duty be reduced, adds APP.

It was estimated that Karachi needs between 5,000 to 10,000 large buses which would help resolve the transport problem of the city.

Naimatullah said the water distribution and sewerage system in Karachi had collapsed and there was an urgent need for replacing them.

Water wastage in the city was to the extent of 40 to 60 per cent and this wastage must be avoided, he said.

Nazim Karachi said that efforts were being made for reviving and improving the Karachi Circular Railway.

According to PPI, the district Nazims from interior demanded an end to unnecessary involvement of provincial secretaries in the affairs of district. They also demanded extension in the dead-line for presentation of no-confidence move in district council, and sought more funds for education and said there was a shortage of officers to carry out the routine work.

Regarding lack of officers in rural districts of Sindh, the Sindh chief secretary informed that a large number of officers, including EDOs and district officers, had protested against their posting in rural districts presenting different reasons.

However, he said that this problem will be taken care of soon.

Regarding provision of transport to the Nazims, the CS informed that they were working in this regard and town/taluka Nazims will be provided transport soon.

As far as police reforms, the Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, informed that under the Police Ordinance to be introduced soon the district police officers (City Police Officers for City Government) would be given under the District Nazim in functional matters pertaining to law and order.