Committee to probe IMC’s poor tax recoveries

Local government commission seeks details on how grant given by Japan was utilised

ISLAMABAD: The mayor of the federal capital on Thursday was blamed for the poor financial health of the elected local government of the city by a union council chairman of his party. It prompted a commission, formed by the interior ministry to oversee affairs of the local government, to form a two-member committee to probe the matter further.

This was directed by the Local Government Commission (LGC), which met for its fourth meeting on Thursday.

Chaired by the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan, the commission reviewed matters about the tax recoveries made by the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) particularly with regards to the collection of annual fees from the owners of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) towers and advertising signboards installed across the city.

After deliberating over recovery records of IMC, the commission’s technocrat member Tayyaba Ibrahim expressed displeasure over the lethargy of the corporation and the Metropolitan Administration Directorate (DMA) in fulfilling their responsibility.

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The technocrat member had previously drawn the attention of the commission towards the issue and summoned annual reports from IMC’s additional collector and revenue magistrate on the recoveries made since the establishment of the corporation.

Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf suggested that the commission form an inquiry committee to probe the matter further. Acting on this advice, Awan formed a two-member inquiry committee comprising Ibrahim and Ali Bukhari, directing them to submit a report with the commission within three weeks.

UC chairman blames mayor

The committee also reviewed the matter of using the land of the National Highway Authority (NHA) by Union Council (UC) 12 Chairman Muhammad Azhar.

Azhar, who had won the local government election on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket, appeared before the commission to clarify his position.

Curiously, the UC chairman blamed IMC Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz for failing to seize various opportunities which could have helped the cash-strapped IMC to bolster its finances.

In this regard, Azhar claimed that he alone had made huge tax recoveries from his UC. He went on to claim that he had even invited the mayor — who hails from the same party as the UC chairman — and DMA officials to visit his UC so that he could show them the possibilities for raising revenues.

The UC chairman lamented that neither the mayor nor DMA officials took up his offer.

Listing several other missed opportunities, the elected official blamed the mayor for not organising tender process for the cattle market last year, conceding that the corporation would have earned around Rs70 million from the process.

Sanitation department issues

Reviewing the matter of awarding a tender of solid waste management, Awan asserted that IMC had awarded the contract without first identifying the landfill site the contractor will dump waste in.

In this regard, IMC officials were directed to submit within a day a report on how a grant worth ¥5 million (Rs7.56 million), given to the corporation by Japan for the uplifting of the sanitation department, was utilised.

Further, on the issue of non-payment of salaries to the sanitation staff, the commission instructed the IMC to follow the same law under which it has been paying salaries to these employees in the past.

The commission further also sought an answer from the climate change ministry on the measures taken for cutting down paper mulberry trees in the federal capital to reduce the pollen count.

Mayor opposes chief officer’s extension

Islamabad Mayor Aziz on Thursday took serious notice of the extension given to IMC’s Chief Officer Humayun Akhter.

Akhter was expected to retire from his parent organization, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), where he is serving as Member Engineering, later this week after attaining the age of superannuation. However, the CDA granted him an extension in the form of the acting charge of IMC’s chief officer and for its upcoming projects.

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Reacting to the extension, the mayor invoked the extraordinary jurisdictions under Section 74 & 75 of Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act (ICTLGA) 2015. The clause notes that IMC’s chief officer is a subordinate of the mayor and any recommendations in connection with his performance or requirements, is the sole prerogative of the mayor, and no authority can suggest or recommend on his or on behalf of IMC under the rules.

In a letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, Aziz told the interior minister and PM Office’s secretaries that inquiries are pending against Akhter and his alleged incapacity to deliver as unbiased administrator. The mayor argued that a seasoned officer belonging to regular service other than CDA/ICT is needed to make the IMC operate on its feet.

He also slammed the efforts of CDA to directly send a summary to the prime minister for granting an extension to its employee in an independent body.

Mayor requested for cancellation and stoppage of any such extension of a retiring officer. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2020.