KARACHI, June 5: Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Abdul Rauf Siddiqui said here on Thursday that the provincial government had decided to provide more relief to the citizens. He proposed exemption from property tax to the owner of a single/double story house built on a residential plot measuring up to 120 square yards and the flats built on an area of up to 600 square feet.

Moreover, he added, single/ double story houses, built on 240 square yards and rented out for residential purpose, would be taxed at single rate instead of double rate. Similarly, the flats with covered area of 1,000 square feet and rented out for residential purpose, would also be taxed at single rate.

The summary of the proposal has been moved for discussion and approval by the cabinet in its next meeting, according to the minister who was briefing newsmen at his office. He hoped enforcement of the proposed relief package from July 1.

Mr Siddiqui said that since the prime minister had already announced a relief package for Landhi and Korangi, the people of these areas as well as calamity-hit coastal areas of Thatta and Badin districts would also be given exemption in property tax for a year.

He said that the government had already announced relief in property tax for widows and retired government employees.

He, at the same time, appealed to the citizens to pay their outstanding dues prior to June 30 so that they could avail the relief in the next fiscal year.

He informed the newsmen that the E&T department collected Rs4,332 million on account of different taxes from July 1, 2002 up to April 2003 as against Rs3,900 million last year in the corresponding period last year.—PPI