CDA likely to earn Rs2.5b from regularisation fees

Authority to ensure owners of buildings comply with the by-laws

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is likely to generate around Rs2.5 billion from fees for compliance of building by-laws by different commercial premises situated in the various sectors of the city.

In this context, after completing a comprehensive survey of the commercial buildings in the sectorial area of the city, Building Control Directorate-I has segregated premises on the basis of violations committed by the owners under compoundable and non-compoundable violations categories, said a CDA statement on Sunday.

The authority said it will charge regularisation fee from people who have committed compoundable violations of the by-laws. “The said revenue would be generated from the commercial premises which are under category of compoundable violations while strict action including demolishing or removal of violations would be taken against non-compoundable violations or irregularities,” the statement read.

CDA said people were running businesses in residential areas which was violation of law and would not be allowed to continue any further. “Till now for many years people in these buildings had continued to carry out business activities without paying the (commercialisation) fee. However, either these would have to comply with the fee structure already in practice or will be proceeded against,” the authority said.

Under compoundable violations category premises which have not obtained approval of building plans or have not yet obtained completion certificates of building are included.

Furthermore, under this classification such premises are also included which have provision of certain floors however, the owners only got building plan approval of lesser floors and constructed remaining floors without obtaining approval of building plans.

Furthermore, other violations which can be covered under the fines also fall under compoundable violations. The present management of the authority has taken various initiatives aimed to ensure discipline in all spheres. Lacunas in the system are being fixed while the sources of revenue generation, which were never touched in the past, are being explored.

As result of multi-pronged policies and initiatives of the authority not only longstanding issues of the Federal Capital are being addressed affectively but gradually authority has attaining financial stability coupled with a permanent source of revenue generation for the authority.

Prior to this exercise, consolidated data of the commercial buildings was not available with Building Control Directorate-I which was resulting in violations of building by-laws in the city and was ultimately affecting the revenue generation process.

Under this survey, more than 3,000 commercial premises situated in Blue Area, markaz in various sectors, Class-III markets and filling stations were inspected and required data was collected and compiled.

After segregating of data, authority has started issuing notices and show-cause notices to the owners of the commercial premises to compel them for compliance of building by-laws.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2020.