ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) will receive only Rs1.4 billion in the fiscal year 2016-17 in terms of taxes against its Rs10 billion non-development expenditures.

However, to meet the shortfall, the IMC has planned to bring all zones of Islamabad into the tax net.

The IMC on Tuesday finalised its budget proposals, seeking Rs8.6 billion for non-development projects and around Rs6 billion for the ongoing development schemes which will be devolved to it from the CDA and the capital administration. The IMC also decided to seek a special budget for initiating new development schemes.

“Today, we have finalised our budget proposals for non-development expenditures and the ongoing schemes,” said Chief Metropolitan Officer Asad Mehboob Kiani.

Asked about the Rs10 billion expenditures and only Rs1.6 billion receipts, the official said Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz had a complete plan of improving the tax nets besides providing equal services to all the union councils.

IMC plans to increase its tax net in order to bridge gap between income and expenditures

Currently, only Zone I (sectoral area) is being taxed. We will increase the tax net to all the 50 union councils. “There is huge potential of tax in Zone V, Zone IV and Zone II.” He said by increasing the tax net within a year, the IMC would be a self-sufficient body to some extent. “Besides bringing all the UC under the tax net, we will provide services to all UCs equally. As far as the allocation of budget and services is concerned, there will be no difference between UC F-6 and UC Bhara Kahu,” he said.

CDA employees oppose division

As per initial understanding, 23 departments of the CDA will be transferred completely and 20 others partially to the IMC. Besides, the services of over 9,000 employees will be handed over to the corporation on a permanent basis. However, the CDA employees are opposing their transfer and the division of the CDA. The non-gazetted employees are already on a two-hour daily strike while the officers at a meeting on Tuesday expressed concerns over the proposed transfer of the employees without any protection to their pay and privileges.

“We have decided to file a petition with Islamabad High Court against the proposed transfer of the CDA employees. There is no clear protection of our rights under the Islamabad Local Government Act,” said Chaudhry Yasin, the general secretary of the CDA Employees Union.

He said the employees would stage a protest at Aabpara Chowk against their expected transfer on May 6. “Instead of dividing the civic agency, the mayor should be made part of the CDA Board.” He said the CDA had a different service structure and in case the employees are transferred, there would be a lot of difficulties for them.

“For instance, in CDA our peon has grade five while in other departments the post is of grade one and two. Our employees are enjoying different facilities such as allocation of plots, Haj, Eid allowance etc.”

Meanwhile, the CDA Officer Welfare Association at a meeting formed a 10-member committee which will register their concerns with the federal government. The committee will also file a case with the court later.

A senior officer of the CDA told Dawn that the civic agency would issue a notification on Wednesday in which the employees would be given an assurance that their rights would be protected.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2016