DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 21: Banks and traders have refused to pay the publicity fee for the signboards installed at their offices and shops to the tehsil municipal administration.

According to details, the TMA has imposed a tax on publicity boards after an approval of the council. The tax is being collected by a contractor. Traders have refused to pay the publicity fee terming it unjustified.

Central traders association secretary-general and district council member Shaikh Usman told Dawn that they were not bound to pay the publicity fee. The tehsil municipal officer (regulation) said under the notification issued by the tehsil government, they were collecting tax on every advertising at a rate of Rs5 per square foot.

A bank manager said the TMA staff was charging a publicity fee of Rs2,000 per annum. He said how it was justified to charge a fee on signboards installed at their office buildings. He said according to bank rules, the TMA should contact banks' higher authorities as some 27 branches of various banks were functioning in the Dera city. Tehsil Naib Nazim Khalid Rauf said he had already warned the contractor not to cross the limits.