KARACHI, Dec 3: The City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, said here on Monday that the Karachi city district government had issued tenders worth Rs370 million for various development schemes of the city.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Site Bachat Bazaar, the Nazim said the government was paying special attention to construction and repair of the city’s roads.

For this purpose, he said, Rs70m had been earmarked, and Rs30m would be spent on the development of road crossings in the city.

The annual Site bachat bazaar was inaugurated by Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro on Nov 24. More than 100 industrial units took part in the bazaar and sold goods at factory prices to the general public.

The Nazim said the city government was facing financial problems because of shortage of funds. More than 80 per cent of the total budget was being spent on employees’ salaries and only 20 per cent funds were available for development works.

Mr Khan said for a big city, like Karachi, these funds were highly inadequate. The city government had proposed to raise its income by imposing one or two per cent port city tax and road users tax from petroleum products marketing companies at the rate of 50 paisa a litre.

The Nazim urged industrialists to cooperate with the city government in the collection of the proposed taxes, being imposed for the improvement and development of the city.

He said the Karachi Development Authority, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and police department would come under control of the city government from Dec 31.

He appreciated the efforts of the Site Association for setting up such bazaars for the low-income people.

The Site Association’s Chairman, Dr Arshad Vohra, Chief Organizer Rauf A. Sattar, Siraj Kassam Teli, Majyd Aziz and others also spoke on the occasion.

The Site Association’s chairman announced the extension of the bazaar for three days more on the demand of the general public. Now the bazaar would continue till the evening of Dec 5.—APP