ISLAMABAD, JUN 3 (DNA) – Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has said that business community is not against tax payment but MCI has increased property tax by 300% in one go, which has increased the difficulties of business class.

Therefore, he urged that the current increase in property tax should be withdrawn and this tax should be gradually increased by taking the business community into confidence. He expressed these views while talking to Mian Tariq Latif, DMA/Director Revenue of MCI during his visit to ICCI. Amir Ranjha, Deputy Director MCI was also present on the occasion.

Mohammad Ahmad Waheed said that encroachments in markets were not only created problems for business community, they were also distorting the beauty of markets.

He stressed encroachments from all markets should be removed by taking trade associations of concerned markets in confidence.

He said that the increase in board tax fee should also be reviewed.He said that a verbal agreement was reached between DMA and ICCI for a board tax @ of Rs. 60 per square foot, which should be implemented.

Emphasized that sanitation arrangements in commercial and industrial areas should be further improved and MCI should intensify its efforts to address the issues highlighted by the business community.

Tahir Abbasi, Senior Vice President ICCI, Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, Usman Khalid, Zia Chaudhry, Asher Hafeez, Khalid Chaudhry, Malik Rabinwaz, Nisar Ahmad Langa and others also highlighted the issues of business community and offered proposals for their solution.

Mian Tariq Latif, Director Municipal Administration and Director Revenue, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad speaking at the occasion said that encroachments from markets in Islamabad would be removed in cooperation with traders and this process would be started from Jinnah Supermarket.

However, the cooperation of market unions was needed in this regard. He said that efforts would be made to solve the problems of the business community through understanding and in this regard a meeting of ICCI delegation would be arranged with Mayor of Islamabad.

He said a joint committee of the two institutions would be considered to identify important issues and find their better solutions. He assured that he would fully cooperate with Chamber in resolving the key issues of business community.=DNA

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