UoP, GIZ ink agreement on Urban Immovable Property Tax reform

'The study will help increase the tax collection'

PESHAWAR:

The Development Action Cell (DAC) of the University of Peshawar signed a grant agreement with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to develop a proposal for reforms in Urban Immovable Property Tax in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

As per the agreement, the DAC will conduct a study on the Urban Immovable Property Tax system in K-P, and based on the outcome of the study, it will propose reforms and improvements to the K-P Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department to the Urban Immovable Property Tax (UIPT) system. The GIZ will provide financial and technical assistance in conducting the study and drafting the proposal.

The grant agreement ceremony between GIZ and DAC was held at the University of Peshawar on Thursday attended by the Vice-Chancellor University of Peshawar Professor Dr Muhammad Idrees, Secretary Excise and Taxation and Narcotics Control Department K-P Syed Haider Iqbal as the guest of honour, GIZ head of programme LoGo-II Sanjeev Pokharel, Chairperson Economics Department Dr Naila Nazir, Team Leader K-P-UIPT - PDA Khalid Mehmood and Coordinator DAC Dr Kashif Saeed were also present.

Read K-P businessmen seek removal of property tax

Speaking at the occasion, Secretary Excise and Taxation and Narcotics Control Department Syed Haider Iqbal welcomed the suggestions and input for the improvement of the system, saying that his department is short of manpower to conduct the study.

“The study will help us fix any loopholes in the system and will help increase the tax collection,” he said.

GIZ Head of Programme LoGo-II Sanjeev Pokharel said that UIPT concerns the local government which is why it is very important and improvement in the collection and overall UIPT system will help in improvement in services delivery at the local government level.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2021.