KARACHI, April 20 Perturbed by the poor recovery of the city government`s taxes and inadequate release of funds from the provincial and federal governments, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged the citizens to pay the recently levied `infrastructure tax` to save and maintain the new development projects.

In a statement issued here on Monday, Mr Kamal feared that a gap of six months in the financing could devastate the newly constructed infrastructures and the city will need a significant time to regain the position. He appealed to the citizens of Karachi to pay the CDGK`s infrastructure tax as well as the tax of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board timely so that the amount in question could be used for the protection and sustainability of projects relating to water and sewerage, parks and roads, underpasses and flyovers, etc.

According to sources in the CDGK, about four per cent of the amount targeted for the January-March quarter of 2009 could be realised under the head of the infrastructure tax. The tax was being collected from owners or occupants of the residential and commercial plots.

Hinting about legal action to be taken against the defaulters of the infrastructure tax, the city government recently announced that sale and purchase of each property transaction and its transfer would be linked with the payment of the infrastructure tax.

Moreover, about 10 days back, the city nazim in a statement also drew the attention of the president, the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister to the `poor financial condition of the city government`, complaining that during the last three months, the provincial government had curtailed about Rs590 million from the share of the CDGK, which would adversely affect the development works being carried out in the city.

In his latest statement, Mr Kamal said that the citizens of Karachi in view of the poor financial condition of the country and in the greater interest of the city and to preserve the newly laid infrastructure should pay the petty amount of the infrastructure tax as their national duty.

“The country at present is facing financial problems and the city government can not wait to receive the funds from the federal or the provincial government” he said adding that any halt in the journey of progress in Karachi would mean adverse affect on the national economy and that would also increase the unemployment and ultimately increases the crime rate including terrorism.

Although, the CDGK estimated that it would collect Rs2.8 billion per annum in the head of the infrastructure tax, the citizens largely disliked the tax and have been demanding the government to withdraw it, as there was no precedence of imposing such a tax in any other city.