Murree imposes daily tax on street vendors

Balloon sellers, corn vendors, ice ball hawkers and mobile traders brought into tax net

RAWALPINDI:

Amid what has been described as a severe financial and economic crisis in Punjab, balloon sellers, corn vendors, peanut and chickpea vendors, ice ball hawkers and other mobile traders operating in streets and neighbourhoods have been brought into the tax net.

Under the new measures, a daily tax of Rs200 has been imposed on all categories of hawkers and mobile vendors. The new rates will come into force from July 1, 2026.

The Chief Officer of the Municipal Corporation Murree has also increased toilet charges, shop signboard fees, advertisement taxes and parking fees. Formal objections against the revised rates will be heard until June 16, while forced recovery will begin from July 1.

According to the notification, hawkers failing to pay the Rs200 daily tax could have their balloons, gol gappas, chickpeas, peanuts, corn and pushcarts confiscated besides facing heavy fines.

The fee for all public toilets and washrooms in Murree has been increased from Rs30 to Rs50.

The annual tax on small shop signboards in District Murree has been raised twelvefold from Rs100 per square foot annually to Rs100 per square foot monthly. Company board tax has been fixed at Rs300 per square foot annually.

The fee for six-foot banners has been set at Rs500, while banners displayed on electricity and telephone poles will be charged Rs300 per square foot. Signboards will be charged Rs400 per square foot.

Advertisement tax on vehicles has been increased to Rs20,000 per day while company product advertisements will be charged Rs5,000 daily.

The NOC fee for company advertisement permits has been increased from Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 while the renewal fee has been raised from Rs10,000 to Rs30,000.

Entry fee for buses and coasters at general bus stands has been increased from Rs200 to Rs300. Minibus entry fee has been raised from Rs150 to Rs250, wagon fee from Rs70 to Rs150, Suzuki jeep fee from Rs50 to Rs100 and taxi/carry dabba fee from Rs50 to Rs100.

Motorcycle fee has been increased from Rs30 to Rs50.

Parking charges across Murree have also been increased. Car and jeep parking fee during the day has been doubled from Rs100 to Rs200 and night parking from Rs150 to Rs300.

Wagon parking fee has been increased from Rs100 to Rs200 during the day and from Rs150 to Rs300 at night. Motorcycle parking charges have been raised from Rs30 to Rs50 during daytime and from Rs60 to Rs100 at night. Taxi parking fee has been increased from Rs50 to Rs100.

Slaughterhouse tax on large animals has been increased from Rs200 to Rs300 while tax on small animals has been doubled from Rs100 to Rs200.