Civic breakdown persists as Sindh expands urban property tax

Chief minister tells World Bank door-to-door assessments identified 3.1 million properties

KARACHI:

Urbanites, complaining about the missing civic amenities and crumbling infrastructure, will soon be getting property tax notices for their houses and shops located on dilapidated and dug up roads with overflowing sewage.

In order to meet the World Bank conditions for securing more loans, the Sindh government conducted door to door survey to optimize tax collection.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday told a World Bank delegation that door-to-door assessments for urban property tax have identified 3.1 million out of 3.3 million properties, with fund reallocations approved in the Project Steering Committee.

He chaired a sector-wise review meeting with a 10-member senior World Bank delegation, led by Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, to assess ongoing development projects and chart future priorities for the province.

Speaking at the meeting, CM Shah described the partnership with the World Bank as a cornerstone of Sindh's reform and recovery agenda. "We aim for faster implementation, stronger results, and visible impact for citizens," he said.

Currently, 13 WB-supported projects are underway in Sindh, with a total cost of $3.8 billion, of which $1.96 billion has already been disbursed. For the fiscal year 2025-26, a baseline disbursement target of $700.25 million has been set. Key projects in urban development, transport, and municipal services include the $230 million Competitive and Livable City of Karachi project, the $382 million Karachi Mobility Project, and the $100 million Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project.

The meeting was told that 161 Town Municipal Committee projects worth $66.7 million are underway, with 47 already completed, achieving overall physical progress of 61%. Similarly, eight Karachi Metropolitan Corporation projects totaling $19 million are in progress, with four projects in the procurement stage expected to be awarded by December 16, 2025.

Regarding the urban property tax survey, door-to-door assessments have identified 3.1 million out of 3.3 million properties, with fund reallocations approved in the Project Steering Committee.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has outlined significant progress across governance, infrastructure, education, health and social protection sectors, highlighting the go-live of Wave Two of the Sindh Business One Stop Shop System (SBOSS) on November 28, 2025. So far, 13 of 19 institutions have been integrated, 54 of 130 regulatory licences digitised and 4,089 e-permits issued. Wave Three, covering six institutions and the remaining 76 licences, is expected by May 2026.