KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday passed unanimously the Sindh Finance (Amendment) Bill 2020 abolishing up to three per cent Capital Value Tax on immovable properties to encourage revival of the construction industry.

The abolished Section 4 of the SFA had authorised the provincial government to collect up to three per cent tax on the registration or transfer of immovable property of 240 square yards or more.

The statement of objects and reasons of the bill read: “Government Sindh intends to encourage the construction sector and towards that end it seeks to incentivise the property transactions thereby … the revival of construction sector will be ensured but the allied industry will also thrive. With that objective in sight, the Capital Value Tax imposed on the transactions of immovable properties under The Sindh Finance Act, 2010 is to be abolished.”

Revenue Minister Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman said that the provincial government was collecting about Rs7 billion annually, but decided to abolish the tax just to facilitate the construction industry and create opportunities for investment in the province and the country.

Adopts PPP resolution condemning harassment of female journalists

While welcoming the amendment in the bill, Leader of the Opposition Firdaus Shamim Naqvi said that laws should be made in a manner that there would be no flight of capital from Sindh.

Khawaja Izharul Hassan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan also supported the bill but suggested that poor people should be given loans on easy instalments for building houses.

Besides, four bills — The Land Acquisition (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2019; The Sindh Explosives Bill, 2019; and The Sindh Regularisation of Teachers Appointed on Contract Basis (Amendment) Bill, 2019 — were also introduced and sent to the standing committees concerned.

Calling-attention notices

Replying to a calling-attention notice by two MQM-P members on water shortage in Karachi, Parliamentary Secretary on Local Government Saleem Baloch said that 1,000mgd water was required for Karachi while there was a shortfall of 250mgd.

He said the water crisis in the city would not be over until the completion of the K-IV water project.

Responding to another calling-attention notice by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal member Syed Abdul Rasheed, he said 1.25 kilometres of 2.5km long Shah Abdul Bhitai Road had been completed while work on the remaining portion of the road was halted for laying water and sewerage lines.

Question hour

Earlier, while replying to lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during Question Hour, Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh informed the house that the provincial government had formulated a comprehensive policy for the Thar Coalfield affectees titled ‘Resettlement Policy Framework’ (RPF) for Thar Coalfields’.

He said each Thar coalfield leaseholder was required to prepare and get approval of its own resettlement action plan (RAP).

“RPF/RAP gives right of compensation to affectees for losses such as agricultural/cultivatable land, loss of residential, commercial, industrial or institutional land, loss of livelihood/occupation or business incomes, loss of public infrastructure, jobs, etc,” the minister added.

Moreover, he said, Thar Coal Block-II being the provincial government’s first successful project got RAP approval by the energy department. “As such, Phase-I Block-II resettlement is completed through which 172 families are already resettled and relocated to a modern model village, New Sehnri Dars, in taluka Islamkot,” he added.

Harassment of female journalists

Separately, the assembly adopted a resolution with a majority of votes tabled by Sharmila Farooqui of the Pakistan Peoples Party, condemning the ‘online harassment’ of some women journalists by the “social media team of the ruling party (PTI)”.

“This house vehemently condemns the online harassment of female journalists by social media accounts affiliated with the ruling party. These accounts are not only threatening hard working, respectable female journalists from doing their work, but have also created a culture of abuse to silence them, which is completely unacceptable. This house demands a transparent and full-fledged investigation by FIA’s cyber-crime wing. A proper legal action must also be initiated against the culprits. These women journalists are in danger because they have been critical of the incumbent government’s policies. Women journalists are not only being bullied online, they now face threats of sexual and physical violence which puts their personal security at risk,” the resolution read.

The resolution also demanded that the FIA report must be made public to expose those miscreants. “These unfortunate incidents have once again exposed the federal government’s anti-media and censorship policies. It is a disturbing trend that must end immediately. This house categorically demands that the Government of Pakistan ensures the freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it added.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Saeed Ghani told the lawmakers that the provincial government was going to launch an anti-encroachment operation on directives of the Supreme Court, adding that the occupants would be given alternative places before their evacuation.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020