KARACHI, Nov 14: After a heated debate, the City Council Karachi on Tuesday approved new taxes for slaughterhouses despite protests by the opposition that it would overburden people and result in increase in meat prices.

The new taxes had been imposed by fixing revised rates for parking and entry fees of private vehicles for lifting of meat from Landhi slaughterhouses.

The treasury members did not agree with the contention of the Opposition that the new rates were new taxes, saying these were revised rates.

Treasury leader told the house that in the past the City Government had been managed by selling its assets, but it was now being run on levying taxes so as to execute its development activities. He said the rates were necessary to carry out uplift works.

Opposition member Saeed Ghani and Rafique rejected the treasury member’s stance that additional taxes would add to miseries of the people as it would further increase meat prices. Another opposition member Saifuddin charged that the City Government was being run by bureaucrats who were creating problems for the government and the people.

Earlier, the council resumed session with Niab Nazim Ms Nasreen Jalil in the chair.

She tabled the resolution for debate which was strongly opposed by Opposition members who called for withdrawal of new rates which they argued would overburden people.

At the outset of the debate, Masood Mehmood of the treasury objected to remarks of the Opposition regarding proceedings of the house committee, saying all relevant information was available in the council office and members had access to it.

Accusing the Opposition of raising irrelevant issues and wasting time of the house, he disagreed with the new rates which were revised rates being imposed for generating revenue to enable the department concerned to carry out its developmental activity smoothly.

However, the house gave its approval by majority votes when two resolutions were moved, one relating to increase in parking rates of private vehicles for lifting of meat from Landhi Cattle house and another pertaining to new rates for slaughtering animals.

As many as 115 members voted in favour of the resolution and 37 opposed it while 100 members did not participate.