More big you are less tax to pay

KARACHI: Karachi, the seashore city of Pakistan having 20 million population, restaurants, hotels, malls, food courts, five star hotels, is the limelight of the foodies citizens.

All the year these restaurants, hotels, food courts and others are full with customers taking huge money from customers  in return of good food products or meals.

Senior Director Food Lab Karachi, Javaid Ur Rahim unveiled the truth and said that all the Five ,Four and Three Stars hotels  in Karachi are paying only Rs10 as annual tax or renewal licence fees same as oil and milk manufacturers paying only Rs 25 annual tax than how can we compete with Punjab Food Authority.

From last one decade, Food lab is non functional because we don't have enough funds to bear the loses and run the lab, Rahim added.

Food Inspector, Zahir khan, working from last 32 years in food lab, said that we are living in 2017 but following 1965 rules that why we are unable to provide good service to the citizens of Karachi.

On the other hand our justice system is also very weak when we present any culprit in front of magistrate they put minor fine like Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 on them that’s why shopkeepers, manufacturers are not taking us seriously because they knew if they are caught they be will released after paying only Rs 10,000, Khan added.

In August 2014, Health Department Government of Sindh and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had revised the licence and renewal fee from Rs 10 to rs 50,000 per year but unfortunately after one year Health Department Government of Sindh had issued another notification on 22nd April 2015 to put embargo on new rates and revised the old rates again, Senior Director Food Javaid Ur Rahim added.

Public Analyst Dr Raziudin said that we are not providing our service until we don't have stick laws and proper implantation and atleast enough food inspectors who are catering 20 million people city otherwise it's not possible to rescue the health of citizen.