RMC approves revised budget of Rs2.58b

Development budget increased by Rs800m as tax recoveries surge

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) has approved a revised budget of Rs2.58 billion for the current financial year 2020-21.

The revised budget was prepared on the basis of revenue generated on the account of millions of rupees of composition fee collected for the regularisation of illegal constructions and tax of transfer of property. This was stated in a meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood.

Under the revised budget, the total expenditure will increase from Rs3.36 billion to Rs4.21 billion while the development budget has been increased from Rs2 billion to Rs2.8 billion.

Before the preparation of the revised budget, more than 100 cases of commercial construction were found contrary to the approved building plans across the city on which millions of rupees of composition fees were collected, a spokesperson said.

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However, regular warnings were issued to the Building Department to ensure that construction was carried out in accordance with the approved plans in the future while strict legal action will be taken against the building branch and field staff for any violations, the official maintained.

As per sources, it was decided to prepare a revised budget in case of higher than the usual recovery of tax of transfer of property. However, in the revised budget, the development budget has been increased by only Rs800 million while the non-development budget has been increased by Rs1 billion.

The increase in the development budget will lead to construction and repair work, the meeting was briefed. Mehmood directed the officials to increase sources of income, reduce expenses and ensure timely completion of development schemes with proper quality checks in place.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2021.