Karachi: Sindh government on Tuesday (September 7) decided to conduct a property survey in Karachi to increase the tax base by bringing in more people, according to news sources.
Currently, the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department is collecting property tax from six major cities in Sindh; Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana, and Karachi. According to the survey, the total collection of property tax in the fiscal year 2021 (FY-21) is PKR 1.679 billion, which includes PKR 1.52 billion from Karachi.
As per the details shared, the last survey in Karachi was conducted in 2001. Back then, as many as 800,000 properties were registered in Karachi. Presently, the registered properties are 947,424. During the last survey, the task of property tax collection was delegated to the district government but was still performed by the provincial taxation department.
In another development, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah approved one component – Modernisation of Urban Property Tax Administration and System – of USD 240 million World Bank (WB)-funded project, Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK).
The aim of this project is to bring reforms in the infrastructure of the city and increase the efficiency of the government’s delivery system. Sindh government sought WB help to improve operational functionality of District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Moreover, it was mentioned that an all-Karachi properties survey will be conducted to update the property tax database. CM Murad informed that the property records will be digitized after conducting the property tax. He went on to say that the property units are expected to be up to 2 billion. The chief minister also decided to delegate the collection of property tax to KMC and DMCs.
The property survey project includes the development of an Urban Immovable Property Tax (UIPT) system that will identify and tax urban properties in Karachi. It will help improve the tax base and the Geographic Information System (GIS) will help to plan and execute sustainable infrastructure. Also, it will provide a GIS mapping infrastructure for identifying all buildings. The programme will automate the printing of challans and property tax assessments.
Iqra holds BS in International Relations and is passionate about writing engaging content on trending real estate topics. When not working, she is either spending time with family, shopping, or discussing shows & movies.
