LAHORE: The government has decided to outsource the collection of levy on the entry of animals and light and heavy vehicles to cattle markets in the province. The newly-formed Punjab Cattle Market Management and Development Company will oversee the affairs of all divisional cattle market management companies.

“Since the officials of various divisional cattle companies were found involved in corruption in the collection of the animal fee (Rs100 on sheep/goat and Rs500 on cow/bull/buffalo, etc), we decided that such affairs should better be outsourced to private firms. We’ll arrange auction for animal/parking fees for cattle markets in the province next month,” Kausar Khan, PCMMDC chief executive officer, told Dawn on Thursday.

Auctions at all divisional headquarters will be held from June 9 to 11 and the PCMMDC expects Rs404 million and Rs180 million in Lahore city district and its districts of Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib and Gujranawala division. The other divisions too can earn considerable revenue. Moreover, the government also earns revenue the rents of shops, animal sheds, etc.

The report mentions that auction for the cattle markets of Lahore, Faisalabad and Sahiwal will be held on June 9 followed by Bahawalpur, DG Khan, and Multan on June 10 and Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Sargodha on June 11. The auction contract would be valid till June 30, 2022.

“About 10 days before, I raided the Multan cattle market and found a couple of senior officials minting money from vendors. A few days ago, we also caught the official of another divisional company. This all forced us to think to better outsource this function (animal/parking fee) to the private firms so as to plug leakage of money,” Ms Khan said.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021