Islamabad: The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has approved a sanitation levy to improve garbage collection, its disposal and other cleanliness arrangements in the capital – a news source reported.
The MCI session, which was held at the Pak-China Friendship Centre on Monday, approved the sanitation tax that will be paid by all owners of residential and commercial buildings.
While briefing the session, the sanitation directorate said that solid waste generated within the municipal limits of Islamabad ranged between 550 to 600 tons per day, with an average of 0.283 to 0.613 kg/capita/day or from 1.896 to 4.29kg/house/day.
A working paper presented before the corporation noted that to cater to the above functions efficiently, funds amounting to PKR 1.1 billion were incurred each year. Previously, the Capital Development Authority allocated these funds to the MCI’s sanitation directorate, but they do not do that now. This caused issues such as non-payment of salary to employees.
The paper recommended that MCI should levy a Solid Waste Management Service Fee within the municipal limits of Islamabad. This will help bridge the gap between expenditure and revenue.
Following are the new rates for various sizes of homes:
20×40 ft and 25×40 ft will pay PKR 400 per month
25×50 ft to 30×60 ft will pay PKR 500 per month
30×70 ft and 35×70 ft will pay PKR 600 per month
35×80 ft and 40×80 ft will pay PKR 800 per month
50×90 ft and 60×90 ft will have to pay PKR 1,200 per month
60×100 ft will pay PKR 1,400 per month
One or 2 kanals will pay PKR 1,600 per month
Two to 4 kanals will be liable to pay PKR 2,000 per month
Anything above four kanals, such as farm houses, will be charged Rs4,000 per month
The rates will be different in the rural areas, with a house built on five marlas owing PKR 300 per month, while one between five marla and one kanal will owe PKR 500 per month. Any house that is more than one kanal in size will have to pay PKR 1,000 per month.
An owner of a tower or apartment will be charged PKR 3 per square feet against the covered area. The sanitation charges on government houses will range from PKR 200 to PKR 1,000.
Meanwhile, the taxes on commercial property will be paid on per square feet basis, and will differ based on area and the kind of establishment:
An owner of a commercial property in Blue Area and a class-three shopping centre will pay PKR 5 per square feet
Government and semi-government organisations, autonomous bodies/institutions and universities will pay PKR 2 per square feet
The owners of hotels and motels will pay PKR 6 per square feet, while those owning marquees and wedding halls will pay PKR 10 per square feet.
Shops, restaurants, hotels, garages, petrol pumps and industrial units in the rural area will pay PKR 3 against every square foot, while a marquee and wedding hall owners will be liable to pay PKR 8 per square feet per month.
