LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet committee on legislative business on Tuesday approved a proposal for four per cent provincial sales tax on the rent of online taxi services (Uber, Careem, Airlift etc.) in the province, hiking the fares correspondingly.

The 22nd meeting of the committee presided over by Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat, was held in the Civil Secretariat.

Minister for Excise and Taxation Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed, Provincial Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun and senior officers were also present.

The meeting also approved the establishment of University of Child Health at the Children’s Hospital Lahore.

Other proposals the committee approved included the Punjab Special Education Policy 2019 draft, the amendments to the Act of Technical Universities under the Department of Industries and Trade, the formation of the executive committee of the Punjab Heritage Foundation and the establishment of the University of Bhakkar and the University of Layyah.

The committee also agreed to the proposal of renaming the government degree, inter and commerce colleges as associate colleges and to send the case of 211 union secretaries (technical) for absorption as sub-engineers posts to the Punjab Absorption Committee.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2020