April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

KARACHI, April 12: An accounting slip-up deprived the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) of its share in entertainment tax amounting to Rs44.1 million which was mistakenly transferred to the Sindh government account eight months back by a treasury officer and that has not been corrected yet.

The Sindh government collects the entertainment tax and then transfers to the CDGK under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO).

Sources in Finance Department of Gulshan Town told Dawn that the amount had been collected as entertainment tax from Aladin Park, Sindbad and Safari Park and the anomaly was detected when the CDGK won a case against Alladin Park in the Sindh High Court in September 2007.

During the hearing of the case the party had deposited the entertainment tax with the court. However, after the disposal of the case the Nazir of the court transferred the amount to Account No. 1 which belonged to the Sindh government instead of sending the same to Account No. 4 of the CDGK.

The Gulshan Town staff found out from the challan made by the court ’nazir’ that the amount has been transferred to Account No. 1. It was further revealed that Rs44.1m under the head of entertainment tax collections were also transferred by the treasury officer to the provincial account, while the CDGK is still waiting for the money needed to finance vast development work in the town.

Anis Zaidi, town finance officer, told Dawn that despite several requests to the Sindh finance department the accounting folly has not been corrected and the said amount not transferred to the city government account. Every time the treasury officer concerned is contacted he offers lame excuses.

The finance department has lately directed the treasury officer in writing to transfer the amount to the city government’s account without any delay. The city government has pinned great hopes on this letter and is waiting for the money transfer to the right account.