Charges against utility services: Mayor says property transactions subject to arrear payments

KARACHI: City Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Monday said that the transfer, mutation, purchase and sale of land and property under the management of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are subject to the payment of arrears of municipal utility services charges.

The vacated shops of the Estate Department of KMC will be given through public auction and should not be directly transferred to another person.

The permission issued for signboards in the megacity should be cancelled within the next three days, if they failed to pay the arrears.

He also asked the Department of Land, Katchi Abadis, and Orangi Town Pilot Project to ensure implementation of the orders regarding the payment of MUCT bills.

He issued these instructions while presiding over the meeting of heads of departments in his office on Monday.

Mayor Karachi’s Spokesperson for Political Affairs Karamullah Waqasi, Municipal Commissioner Noman Arshad and heads of various departments and other officers were also present.

Murtaza Wahab directed that the Department of Fire Brigade, Municipal Utility Services not to issue NOCs until the arrears of municipal utility services charges are paid.

He said that the bills of more than 6500 shops of the estate department should be issued in three months instead of six months.

The arrears of municipal utility services charges should also be included in the bills of the Estate shops. Instead of sealing the shops for non-payment of bills and arrears, action should be taken against the respective shopkeepers.

Murtaza Wahab said Rs25 million rupees were collected last year under the Department of Local Taxes. Practical steps should be taken to further increase this amount.

He said that the performance of the employees of the Municipal Utility Services Charges Department will be evaluated on each first Monday of the month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023