Business community asks MCI to withdraw unjustified property tax notices

A delegation of Kahuta Industrial Triangle led by Omais Khattak, Acting President, Islamabad Industrial Association (IIA) visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and informed the ICCI Office Bearers that MCI has issued the notice of enhanced property tax to the industrialists of the area, which has created lot of concerns in them as it was not feasible for them to pay property tax with exorbitant increase. Shaukat Hayat Khan Vice President IIA, Nasir M. Qureshi Vice President FPCCI, Humayun Kabir Executive Member ICCI, Maj Gen (Retd) Farrukh Javed, Kanwar Aftab, Fiaz Khan, Fida Butt and others were in the delegation. Ejaz Abbasi former President, Khalid Chaudhry Senior Vice President ICCI and others were also present at the occasion.
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Addressing the delegation, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that MCI had made almost 300 percent hike in property tax in Islamabad in one go without fulfilling the legal requirements. He said that ICCI along with other stakeholders had resorted to the Islamabad High Court against the unjustified hike in property tax and the IHC had issued a stay order against the said hike.

However, despite court’s stay order, the MCI was issuing notices of enhanced property tax to the business community in Islamabad, which was totally unjustified. He called upon the MCI to immediately withdraw all notices of enhanced property tax to save the business community and the citizens from unnecessary problems. He further said that MCI has gone into appeal against stay order and till the decision on its appeal, it should receive property tax on old rates as without any decision on its appeal, MCI was not eligible to receive property tax on increased rates.
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Omais Khattak Acting President, Shaukat Hayat Vice President Islamabad Industrial Association, Nasir M. Qureshi Vice President FPCCI and other members of delegation said that CDA and MCI were not providing even basic facilities in the Kahuta Industrial Triangle, which was falling in Zone-V. Due to this state of affairs, the roads were broken, water supply, streetlights, sewerage and other systems were not functioning properly and the industrialists of the area were facing great problems in doing business.

They said that first CDA and MCI should provide basic infrastructure and facilities in Kahuta Industrial Triangle and then consider imposing taxes. They further said that the MCI should receive property tax on old rates till a decision on its appeal against the stay order is taken by the court.
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Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh Senior Vice President and Faheem Khan Vice President ICCI fully supported the stand of the delegation of Kahuta Industrial Triangle regarding the property tax issue. They urged that CDA and MCI should develop the Kahuta Industrial Triangle on modern lines and then receive taxes as without providing services and facilities, there was no justification to receive taxes from the industrialists of Zone-V area.

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