Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Excise & Taxation Mr. Mukesh Kumar Chawla has said that the Excise department has exceeded the targets of tax collection for the year of 2013-14, achieving a milestone of more that Rs. 32 billion.
While disclosing the details of achievements Mr. Chawla said the department had collected Rs.32407.523 million against the target of Rs.32011.500 fixed by the Government for the year 2013-14, which is 101% of the targets in all the heads of Excise & Taxation Department.
He further informed that the department had collected Rs.27 billion during last year, adding that more than 5 billion tax collection is a big achievements of the department.
According to break up of Tax Collection in various heads, he informed that Rs.4349 have been recovered against the Motor Vehicle Tax, Rs.3800 million in Excise Enactment, Rs.20000 million, against infrastructure fees, Rs.300 million against cotton fee and Rs.2700 million against property tax.
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Sindh Zakat Department and Sindh Bank management agreed upon having joint mechanism for efficient disbursement of Zakat fund among 85,000 Zakat beneficiaries without services charges. The Sindh Bank would supply ATM Card to each beneficiary facilitate him to draw installment from any bank branch nearest to his/her residence and also during stay anywhere. This was decided in a high level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sindh to evolve a strategy for flawless and efficient distribution of Zakat fund among poor beneficiaries held at CM House Karachi today. He said that PPP was representing poor segment of society and has already launched different income support programs and it want to ensure judicious and easy distribution of Zakat fund among poors as well. He said that organization, previously assigned and entrusted for efficient distribution of Zakat fund, has not delivered up to expectation of beneficiaries. As such his management was receiving complains about the system consequently the proposal for replacing the present disbursing organization with another efficient and active organization with easy and effective mechanism as per requirement of Zakat fund distribution. Subsequently, different banks and organizations were negotiated, who agreed to launch the services at least 3% deduction from Zakat fund as their services charges. But Sindh Government and specially he himself (the CM) was not satisfied for deduction of one rupee from Zakat fund for poor people. He said that on his intervention, the Sindh Bank stepped ahead for rescue and it agreed to provide Zakat fund distribution among the registered benificiaries through ATM Card without any deduction from Principal amount of Zakat fund.
He said that now, the 3% amount which previously was being provided to the organization assigned for disbursement is saved and would be available for further distribution among the poors in the province . The CM directed the officers concerned to expedite their working and ensure that he upcoming installment of Guzara allowance to be distributed among the beneficiaries within shortest possible time.
Briefing the meeting the Secretary Zakat Ramzan Awan said that his management had released 475.068 million to entrusted organization for six month installment of Rs. 6000 each beneficiary to total, 76872 enrolled Mustehqeen, but the organization responsible enable to distribute the fund only among 62,625 Mustehqeen. He said that in response of the decision taken previous meeting, the discontinuation notice has also been issued to the organization engaged earlier for zakat fund distribution. He said that Sindh Bank will take atleast three months for in listment of 85,000 beneficiaries issuance of ATM Cards and update its system for upcoming distribution of Guzara allowance. The Sindh Minister Zakat Dost Muhammad Rahmon, Chairman Sindh Zakat Council Justice (R) Zahid Quran Alvi, Secretary to CM Alamdin Bullo, Secretary Zakat Ramzan Awan, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, President Sindh Bank Mufti Muhammad Najeeb and other officers attended the meeting.
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has welcomed and appreciated the European Union for supporting Sindh Government in implementation on its five years poverty reduction Program “Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCESS) and offering to contribute one third of the total cost of the Program i.e Rs. 08 billion as grant, out of Rs. 24 billion of the total estimated cost of the Program.
The Chief Minister also invited the European Union to avail the opportunities of investment in other sectors including energy and agriculture.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that this gesture would further close the bilateral relations and pave the way for new avenues of other opportunities of trade and business to both sides. This he observed while holding meeting with the Ambassador European Union Lars-Gunnar WIGEMARK and his delegation who called on him at CM House Karachi today.
Talking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Sindh said that during the undemocratic period and era of dictatorship, the people of Sindh had been ignored, thus resulted increase in poverty, unemployment, and deprivation from their basic amenities.
He said that now the democracy has been restored, people are expecting more from us; as such the PPP Government has conceived a 5 years poverty alleviation Program at its estimated cost of Rs. 24 billion under the title of Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening and planned to implement on grass root level/ Union Council level.
He said that Sindh Government is already executing another Union Council based poverty reduction Program through Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) which started from upper Sindh. He said that under this poverty alleviation Program the priority given to the empowerment of women. He said that his government has now allocated Rs. 1.3 billion this financial year as compared to Rs. 400 million allocated in last year to implement SUCCESS as we want to extend this noble job to all district in Sindh.
The Chief Minister Sindh also invited the European Union for making their investment in the other sectors of developments such as energy, agriculture and water sector. He said that we are facing shortage of energy and water sources and we need technological support to fulfill the requirements. The meeting further revealed that European Union would take up seven districts of Sindh including Sujawal, Tando Muhammad Khan, Mitiari, Tando Allayar, Dadu, Larkano, and Qambar Shahdadkot comprising on 194 union councils with collaboration of local NGOs, Sindh Rural Support Program (SRSP) whereas the Sindh Government will take up 13 district including Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Thatta, Khairpur Mirs, Umerkot, Sanghar, Naushero-Feroz, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Ghotki and Karachi comprising 414 union council including 10 rural union of Karachi.
The Chief Minister Sindh recommended for including Tharparkar and Khairpur in the list of European Union. The meeting was informed that this Program to help average population for increasing their income, develop fram work for community institution that are capable of building the capacity of the poor and enabling them to come out of the vicious circle of poverty. This Program also to establish a sustainable government –people partnership by fostering community institution and community volunteers for the delivery of various services at the grass root level and this Program to enable the community institution to arrange a sustainable micro finance program from community investment fund grant to be provided by this project.
The Ambassador European Union Lars-Gunnar Wigemarks while talking in the meeting expressed his keen interest in socio-economic, development of the Sindh. He and his other members of delegation also expressed their interest in the investment in energy sector and importing agro product, specially of Mangoes, however he suggested further up gradation of the cultivation, harvest and conservation of exportable items.
Meanwhile presiding over another meeting regarding launching of poverty alleviation Program Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) through Rural Support Organization, the Chief Minister Sindh directed the officers to adopt participatory approach for implementation on this poverty alleviation Program. He said that Sindh is rich with artisans and resources and said that if these resources are institutionalized, the poverty would be considerably reduced from the rural areas. He asked the officers to encourage handicrafts, arrange display and outlet to the pave the ways for income and employment opportunities for the people of rural areas. The Chief Minister Sindh said that though Sindh Government was already implementing on Union Council based poverty reduction Program through Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) but the initiating the “SUCCESS” Program would be helping hand to achieve the objectives. The Chief Minister Sindh directed the officers to include the district Tharparkar and district Khairpur Mirs in the list of the European Union as these districts needs more attention.