Sindh Assembly agenda: Bills on sales tax, Thar coal likely to be passed

MQM MPA says he will bring an adjournment motion on his kidnapping.

KARACHI:

The Sindh government is likely to pass two important bills - on General Sales Tax on services and Thar Coal and Energy Board - during the pre-budget session that starts from Friday, June 3.

Talking to The Express Tribune, law secretary Ghulam Nabi Shah said that they had drafted the bills for the legislations but he was not sure the date on which the legislation will be promulgated. He said that the government had just issued notification on the Thar Coal Energy Board but now it is contemplating whether or not to bring a law on it.

There has been a dispute between the Sindh and the federal governments over collection of sales tax on services. After the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the provincial governments have been given rights to collect the tax on services but the federal government wanted to retain its powers. Under this category, the government can collect tax on courier services, telecommunication, construction, custom and ship-related services.

Several government officials and cabinet members have been announcing that the sales tax would be collected from next year and that the provincial governments have already devised a plan on how to collect it. “We have established the Sindh Revenue Board to collect GST on services but due to differences with the federal government, the issue has not been resolved so far,” said a member of the board.

He said that the Sindh chief minister had gone to meet the prime minister and will discuss the issue. Other issues that are likely to be taken up during the session include the kidnapping of the MQM MPA, Aleemur Rehman, who was reportedly kidnapped and tortured by unidentified persons. “We will bring either an adjournment motion or a privilege motion on the issue,” said Rehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2011.