Traders demand cut in property tax

Islamabad : Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Sunday urged the government for reducing the property tax on auto markets plots.

A delegation of Traders Welfare Association, Auto Market, I-10/3, Islamabad led by its President Musharraf Janjua and Secretary General Salawar Khan Afridi visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and highlighted the key issues of their market before the office bearers of ICCI for redress.

Addressing the delegation, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President ICCI said that Capital Development Authority has now started development works in markets and assured them that Capital Development Authority (CDA) would hopefully initiate the development works in the market as well. He said that property tax on auto market plots has been increased from Rs6440 to Rs14000 in one go, which was not justified.

He urged for bringing down the property tax to previous level to ease the problems of auto market traders.

He said water charges for the traders of the auto market have also been increased from Rs1750 to Rs4100, which was a massive increase and emphasized that water charges should be rationalized to make them affordable for the traders.

He assured the delegation members that ICCI would fully cooperate with TWA Auto Market I-10/3, Islamabad for resolving the key issues of traders. Speaking at the occasion, Musharraf Janjua President and Salawar Khan Afridi Secretary General, Traders Welfare Association, I-10/3, Islamabad said that due to the absence of a bridge at Nullah Leh, traders and customers were facing great problems in access to the auto market.

They stressed that CDA should construct a bridge on the Nullah Leh as soon as possible to connect the market with nearby areas.

They said CDA should allow construction of flats on commercial units of the auto market to address the residential issues of workers.

They said auto market needed many facilities including restoration of streetlights, public toilets, a filtration plant for drinking water, carpeting of roads, and a dispensary to meet the first aid needs of labourers and urged that CDA to provide these services. They said CDA was getting delay charges and taxes from the plot holders of the auto market, but was not providing required services, which is not fair. They also called upon the Sui Northern Gas Petroleum Limited to provide gas connections in the auto market of I-10/3, Islamabad.

Abdul Rehman Khan, Vice President ICCI, Khalid Cha­udhry and others also spoke at the occasion and called for addressing the key issues of the traders of the auto market, Islamabad.