Publicity levy: Shopkeepers get notices for signboards tax
Complain about TMA officials demanding bribes for assessment favours.
LAHORE:
The City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) has started issuing notices to shop owners for its newly introduced tax on sign boards.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has been collecting a charge on boards installed above the roof level.
Ahad Khan Cheema, the district coordination officer, said that the new tax was signed into law on June 14. He said all kinds of sign boards at the shops were included in the tax net. He said collection will start from September 2010. Cheema said the city government looks forward to collecting a huge amount under the heed. The DCO said that the town administrations will collect the tax and pay it into the CDGL’s account.
The PHA will, meanwhile, continue to collect its fees on other commercial sign boards, he added.
Meanwhile, some shop owners complained on Wednesday that the TMA was demanding bribes for offering them exemption from these taxes.
Dr Muddassir, who has a private clinic in Allama Iqbal Town, said that he had just received a tax notice last week. A couple of days later, he said, he was approached by a TMA official who offered to withdraw the tax notice if he was paid half the liability.
“The officer told me I may have to pay three years’ arrears if I declined his offer. According to the notice, I had to pay Rs10,000 for a year,” he said. The officer kept calling him for three days reminding him of the offer which he said he refused.
He said many shopkeepers, may have been tricked by the corrupt officers into bribing them for exemption from the arrears that were never applicable to them.
Abdul Razzaaq, the Gulberg Town finance officer, said he was not aware of any officers asking for a bribe. “We have not received any complaint so far,” he said.
“If a complaint is received, departmental action will definitely follow.”
He said that there was always a possibility of some officers miscalculating the size of the boards or tax liability. The tax is charged on monthly basis but can be paid annually, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2011.
The City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) has started issuing notices to shop owners for its newly introduced tax on sign boards.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has been collecting a charge on boards installed above the roof level.
Ahad Khan Cheema, the district coordination officer, said that the new tax was signed into law on June 14. He said all kinds of sign boards at the shops were included in the tax net. He said collection will start from September 2010. Cheema said the city government looks forward to collecting a huge amount under the heed. The DCO said that the town administrations will collect the tax and pay it into the CDGL’s account.
The PHA will, meanwhile, continue to collect its fees on other commercial sign boards, he added.
Meanwhile, some shop owners complained on Wednesday that the TMA was demanding bribes for offering them exemption from these taxes.
Dr Muddassir, who has a private clinic in Allama Iqbal Town, said that he had just received a tax notice last week. A couple of days later, he said, he was approached by a TMA official who offered to withdraw the tax notice if he was paid half the liability.
“The officer told me I may have to pay three years’ arrears if I declined his offer. According to the notice, I had to pay Rs10,000 for a year,” he said. The officer kept calling him for three days reminding him of the offer which he said he refused.
He said many shopkeepers, may have been tricked by the corrupt officers into bribing them for exemption from the arrears that were never applicable to them.
Abdul Razzaaq, the Gulberg Town finance officer, said he was not aware of any officers asking for a bribe. “We have not received any complaint so far,” he said.
“If a complaint is received, departmental action will definitely follow.”
He said that there was always a possibility of some officers miscalculating the size of the boards or tax liability. The tax is charged on monthly basis but can be paid annually, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2011.