GILGIT: Gilgit to levy sanitary tax
GILGIT, Feb 11: The Gilgit Municipal Committee has decided to collect sanitary tax from February 12 for reducing waste in the Gilgit municipal town area, officials said on Wednesday. They said that they had divided the town into four sub-zones and a supervisor had been appointed to collect the sanitary tax in each zone.
They said that the municipal committee would also undertake solid waste management in shopping centres and markets, and in future they would not allow the construction of markets without fulfilling the necessary sanitary standards. They had also planned to build public toilets and trash bins in busy shopping areas.
STRIKES: The Union of Gilgit Small Traders would hold a shutter-down strikes from Friday against the imposition of sanitary tax by the municipal authorities in Gilgit. The Union representatives said the new tax which would be collected from Friday was unjustified as the municipal authorities had considerable funds at their disposal for cleanliness and sanitary works.
However a Gilgit municipal official said that they had introduced the taxation move to reduce the financial burden on the Gilgit Municipal Corporation which has meagre funds at its disposal for the purpose.
He elaborated that the traders and their shops are major sources of littering and garbage in Gilgit City and traders are least concerned about the issue of refuse handling, which has been obstructing the beautification of the city.
The official said that in spite of their repeated requests, the traders failed to manage their littering notwithstanding the fact that dustbins had been erected in all the shopping markets.
ROAD: All hurdles in the construction of the Gilgit- Tajkistan road would be removed as this new road project has immense development and trade potential for the Northern Areas.
This was stated by the Northern Areas Education, Finance and Revenue Advisor Hafiz Hafizur Rahman.