Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab asked the prime minister for a comprehensive development package for the city, as the federal government is finalizing the budget for the upcoming year.
The mayor asked the Center to develop plans for the nation’s business capital and implement them through elected local government during a press conference. He emphasized that Karachi should receive the same level of financial support from the federal government as it does from the province because it is the economic and revenue center.
He provide minimal data regarding the financial support that was requested from the Center, notably requesting that Islamabad contribute to the infrastructural development of Karachi. He insisted on using energy bills to collect utility costs, saying the tax would bring in Rs4.5 billion for KMC.
He later clarified that he was seeking funding for Karachi from the federal Public Sector Development Program. Among the ideas were constructing the Northern Bypass and giving the municipal administration authority over the Lyari Expressway. He pointed out that a Rs. 10 billion allocation would greatly help the nation and the city of Karachi, as the city did not receive any federal support for its finances.
The mayor expressed enthusiasm about the recent ruling of the Sindh High Court, which revoked the stay order on the collection of Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) through power bills, and expressed hope that an agreement on MUCT would be reached. The mayor was given a three-month deadline by the court to submit the proposal to the City Council.
The mayor was confident that the plan would be discussed and a consensus built upon by the council committee the following week. would be sent to the City Council following committee approval. “KMC would generate revenue of Rs4.5 billion with the help of this tax,” he stated. “We can support the financial empowerment of local government as required by Article 140-A of the Constitution by using this amount to fund our 245 union committees.”This will free up funds for the KMC and help it become more independent.
In response to a question concerning possible opposition resistance, particularly from Jamaat-i-Islami, Mayor Wahab stated he would call all of the council members to try to reach an agreement that would work best for the city. In the event that the committee cannot agree on it unanimously, a majority vote will be held. We will send it to the council for approval after it has been approved by the majority. We will immediately begin collecting it through KE on permission.
He also mentioned the recent approval by the Sindh government of Rs. 12 billion for the projected construction of a new Hub Canal and rehabilitation of the old one by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC). When the new canal project is finished in a year, Mayor Wahab said the city might have 200 million gallons of water per day from the dam.
