Transparency: TIP receives complaint against Cantonment Board Clifton

Complaint claims CBC awarding construction contracts for 2 pedestrian bridges to facilitate favoured parties.

KARACHI:

Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has received a complaint against the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) for waiving the cantonment tax on hoardings and awarding construction contracts for two pedestrian bridges on BOT basis to facilitate favoured parties.

The watchdog, in a letter addressed to the prime minister, defence minister, NAB and PAC chairmen, Supreme Court registrar and the PPRA MD, said similar efforts to award contracts for four more pedestrian bridges are under way.

According to the letter, the complaint received by TIP pointed out that the tax on hoardings is a statutory levy and cannot be waived by CBC. The two pedestrian bridges in question have two 2,000 sq ft hoardings each, which are liable to be taxed Rs5 million per year. The complaint also said the tender notices for the other four bridges violated PPRA rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2014.