June 21, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 20,1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 20: The deputy commissioner of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to issue warrants for the arrest of 369 people who had filed fake affidavits for seeking 50 per cent rebate in property tax.

A source in the CDA’s revenue directorate told Dawn that notices were served on 669 people who had submitted fake affidavits. Out of these, 238 resided in I-8 sector, 138 in sectors F and E and 293 in G series. However, 300 paid all their dues.

According to the CDA policy, the authority offers 50 per cent rebate in property tax to self occupants. But, some people tried to avail the facility by filing fake documents.

Meanwhile, the CDA decided that 50 per cent rebate in property tax would not be given in those self-occupancy cases in which occupants failed to produce registry and transfer letter of the CDA.

The incentive of power of attorney will not be offered as only genuine owners can avail this facility.

A source told Dawn that a number of people had filed petitions in different courts for the provision of facility of 50 per cent rebate on the production of ‘power of attorney’.

When contacted, a senior CDA official said the facility was only offered to the house owners and power of attorney did not prove that those who were showing it were real owners.

A source in the authority said the CDA’s revenue directorate was reluctant to collect huge property tax from the owners of commercial plazas while the recovery staff was stated to be strict in collecting the same from house owners.

Earlier, the federal capital was exempted from property tax in order to attract people to construct residences in the newly- established Islamabad.

The tax had been revised in 1995, but it was increased again by 250 per cent two years ago. However, the authority claimed that the property tax in the federal capital was still low compared to the same imposed in other cities of the country.