Murad approves launching of E-Municipal Tax Portal in DMC Central

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Thursday approved launching of an online E-Municipal Tax Portal as a pilot project in DMC Central with the objective to facilitate the local tax payers and plug the pilferages.

This decision was taken in a meeting held here at CM House.

The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah, Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi, deputy commissioners, South, West, Central, Korangi, Malir and East.Deputy Commissioner Central MB Dharejo.

In the detailed briefing to the chief minister, it was informed that the E-online Portal has been designed just to facilitate the local tax payers and traders for payment of taxes and issuance of trade licenses.

The traders would have to apply online on the portal for new license, payment of local taxes by getting them registered on the portal. It is hassle free, free of cost and free from human dealing.

The taxpayer/shopkeeper/business unit proprietor would have to register his name along with insertion of his CNIC number, mobile phone, address and locality of a business establishment in the portal.

The portal through its SMS alert service would respond to them traders and issue them Bar-coded trade licenses and Bar-Coded challan.

At present, DMC Central collects four taxes and their annual recovery stands at around Rs16 million.

The DMC Central has 75,000 business establishments.

The DC Central told the chief minister that the portal has been designed by his team free of cost and no procurement has been made.

“After launching of the portal, the recovery would increase many folds which would be used for development of the area,” the chief minister said.

Under the present practice, the DMC contract out recoveries of their taxes, therefore the recovery is like a peanut, the chief minister said.

The chief minister directed the secretary Local government to hold a meeting with the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) to secure the data of the business community on their server.

Shah directed DC Central to set up facilitation desks at major shopping centers and involve local trade associations to train them and guide them to avail the facility.

“We are not increasing the tax rate or imposing any new tax but just making the existing taxes digital.

The chief minister also decided that the other DMCs would replicate the project once it was successfully launched in Central.

He also decided to connect it to the data of NADRA for verification of the CNIC numbers.