KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Thursday directed heads of all departments concerned to achieve their revenue target at any cost and prepare quarterly report.

“Strict action will be taken against those heads who don’t meet their target,” he warned and said that competent officers should be appointed to help the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation meet its revenue target.

The mayor asked officials to start working for the targets as it is just the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Mr Akhtar directed the Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) department to dispatch bills to residents and ensure their payments by informing people.

He said that revenue expected from different departments for fiscal year 2020-21 included Rs1,232.56 million from MUCT, Rs205m from veterinary services, Rs81.5m from engineering department, Rs72.5m from medical and health services, Rs37.9m from parks and horticulture, Rs15.6m from enterprises and investment promotions, and Rs1.185m from secretariat.

“The economic condition of the department could only be stable when all revenue targets are achieved. The officials should work tirelessly so that the targets could be achieved,” he added.

The mayor said that in 2019-20 the KMC received only Rs625m out of allocated Rs3,333m from the provincial government for the Annual Development Programme.

He added the Sindh government allocated Rs2,500.5m for the KMC and if the same amount was released, many uplift projects in Karachi would be completed.

“The KMC is not being provided with funds, and there is a shortfall of Rs160 million in salaries every month,” he said.

The mayor was of the view that increase in salaries also burdened the KMC as the provincial government every year enhanced employees’ salaries, but didn’t provide the KMC with more amount for the same purpose.

He said that it would be difficult for the KMC to increase employees’ salaries by 10 per cent, if it was not given an additional amount.

“Karachi contributes major chunk not only in economy of Sindh, but also Pakistan, but unfortunately in return it gets nothing,” he added.

The mayor claimed the KMC was the only local body in Pakistan which was conducting coronavirus testing and providing medical education despite limited resources.

“We will continue our struggle for rights of Karachiites,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2020