Municipal bodies hike service charges
Even before the new fiscal year 202526 begins, a severe economic and financial crisis has forced local bodies and municipal committees in Rawalpindi district to impose substantial increases on a wide range of public service fees.
The Ministry of Local Government has authorised all municipal corporations, municipal committees, town committees, and district councils across the Rawalpindi Division to raise public service fees at their discretion to cope with the rising financial pressures.
Officials said that, acting on this permission, the local bodies have already started raising rates, with all changes expected to be finalised by May 15, 2025.
The Municipal Committee of Gujar Khan has taken the lead, announcing steep increases that have triggered public outrage.
Domestic water rates have jumped from Rs350 to Rs1,500, while the security deposit for domestic water connections has risen from Rs1,050 to Rs4,500.
The water testing approval fee has increased from Rs1,000 to Rs3,000. For commercial users, the monthly water bill has been raised from Rs2,500 to Rs7,500, and the security deposit for commercial water connections has gone up from Rs7,500 to Rs22,500.
The approval fee for commercial water connections has increased sharply from Rs2,000 to Rs10,000.
Building plan fees have also been revised. The fee for residential construction maps has been increased from Rs5 per square foot to Rs12, while for commercial shops it has jumped from Rs10 per square foot to Rs30.
Public restroom usage charges have risen from Rs30 to Rs50.
Fees related to marriage registration have also been significantly increased.
The official fee for registering a marriage certificate has been raised from Rs500 to Rs1,500.
Permission for a second marriage now costs Rs15,000, up from Rs5,000.
The issuance of a bachelorhood certificate for domestic use now costs Rs1,500, up from Rs500, while for overseas use, the fee has surged from Rs5,000 to Rs15,000.
The marriage registrar's license fee has doubled from Rs1,500 to Rs3,000. The fee for divorce decree registration has increased from Rs500 to Rs1,500.
Verification of records for embassy use now costs Rs15,000 instead of Rs5,000. The correction fee for computerised copies has been raised from Rs500 to Rs1,500.
In addition, there has been a drastic increase in transport terminal fees within municipal limits, which is expected to lead to a rise in fares across all public transport routes.
The parking fee for buses at government terminals has increased from Rs50 per trip to Rs150. For coaster and Mazda vehicles, parking fees have gone from Rs35 to Rs100.
Wagon parking fees have risen from Rs20 to Rs70, while rickshaws and motorbike loader parking fees have climbed from Rs15 to Rs60.
Taxi and private car parking charges, previously Rs10 per trip, now stand at Rs100 per day.
The daily parking fee for carrier vehicles is now Rs70, and for truck loaders, Rs150.
Advertising taxes have also seen sharp increases. Fees for hoarding boards at public places have been raised from Rs35 to Rs70, and for private hoardings from Rs21 to Rs60.
Sky sign fees have increased from Rs30 to Rs70. Advertising rates for LCD and VCD screens have gone up from Rs160 to Rs250 per square foot per month.
The tax on ordinary shop boards has been raised from Rs7 to Rs25 per square foot per month. Panaflex signboard fees have increased from Rs15 to Rs50 per square foot.
Institutional promotional floats will now cost Rs45,000 per month, up from Rs21,000.
Advertising through public transport has also seen a hike from Rs25 to Rs60 per square foot per month.
Theatre and cinema plastic signboard fees have increased from Rs55 to Rs120 per square foot.
Additionally, slaughterhouse fees have been revised upward, with the per-animal slaughter fee increasing from Rs300 to Rs700 and branch-specific slaughter fees rising from Rs150 to Rs400.