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| July 5, 2003 | Saturday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 4,1424 |
Proposals on education, health taxes sought
By Our Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI, July 4: The finance and planning committee has sought fresh proposals from the district government for imposition of health and education taxes.
The body has advised the district administration to forward the proposals to the taxation committee of the Rawalpindi District Council after completion of the homework by the revenue department.
The education and health taxes had been proposed in the budget for fiscal year 2002-03 and were expected to fetch Rs15 million. The taxes were to become effective from January 2003, but it could not happen.
The education tax was proposed to minimize the scope of unemployment in the education sector by appointing qualified teachers on contract basis.
Imposition of the proposed tax was expected to facilitate the district government to improve standard of education at the schools facing shortage of staff.
The rates proposed for the tax were Rs5 per month for primary school students, Rs10 for secondary school students and Rs20 for those studying in intermediate and degree classes.
The imposition of the education tax was hindered by the Punjab government’s decision to make education free at the primary level. “Therefore, we would now have to look into other ways for getting this tax,” an official talking to this reporter said.
Similarly, the health tax had been proposed to promote health facilities in the medical institutions functioning under the administrative control of the provincial and district government.
“The income realized under this head will be spent on providing medicines to the poor and deserving patients and in case of emergency, life saving drugs be procured out of this fund,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the official said the district government was planning to impose toll tax on the roads under its purview.
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