Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries and common people reject increase in property tax
LAHORE: Property tax of PM Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umrah residence, former president Asif Zardari’s Bilawal House and the Punjab chief minister’s Model Town house has been paid within due date.
As per details, Bilawal House has paid Rs 1.14 million, Jati Umrah paid Rs 114,000 and CM’s residence paid Rs 22,000 property tax to the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department.
On the other hand, the department has issued property tax bills worth Rs 15,000 to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence, Rs 10,000 to Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri’s Model Town house, Rs 14,000 to Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s house, Rs 13,000 to former Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi’s house and Rs 12,000 to MPA Moonis Elahi’s residence.
The department said that property tax with one percent surcharge would be slapped if property tax was not deposited until 30 September.
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries has rejected the 50 percent increase in property tax. LCCI Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi had said in a meeting with E&T Secretary Khalid Masood that the business community was not ready to accept even 1 percent increase in the property tax rates due to the current economic condition prevailing in the country.
Talking to Customs Today, citizens said, “Our income is going down over the time but the government taxes are increasing day by day.”
They demanded that the government reduce property and other taxes. “With inflation on the rise, it is difficult to fulfill basic necessities, not to speak of paying more taxes,” they added.
