RCB increases property tax by upto 25pc

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

RAWALPINDI, Dec 26: Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Monday increased property tax for residential units by 10 per cent and for commercial units by 25 per cent and the levy would be applicable immediately.

However, it gave more relief to the owners of five marla houses exempting them from attaching building plan and photo of the house with application for tax exemption.

The five marla houses were exempted from tax in 2007 but the owners had to file approved building plan and photo of the houses along with application for seeking tax exemption certificate.

RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Rana Manzoor Ahmed Khan told Dawn that the decision had been taken after consultation with public representatives from the cantonment areas.

He said the board had also reduced the application forms fees and development charges.

He said that they held meeting with Pakistan Baitul Mal Managing Director Zamrud Khan, MNA Malik Abrar, MPA Chaudhry Mohammad Ayaz, former Vice President of the RCB, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and other representatives of political parties belonging to the cantonment areas.

He said the decision to increase the property tax was taken unanimously.

He said the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board had so far collected Rs120 million property tax during first quarter of 2011-12 against the target of Rs200 million.

He said that those who had paid their property tax would have to pay the arrears during next fiscal year.

However, he said, those who had not paid their tax they would have to pay according to new rates by end of June 2012.

Mr Khan said that the meeting had also decided to collect fee for Transfer of Immoveable Property (TIP) according to district collector’s rate for different areas.

Earlier, the RCB collected the fee according to the value of property in an area.

He said that through this system, the people would pay 25 to 30 per cent less fee to get their property transferred.

He said the step had been taken to facilitate the people as it would reduce the fee by Rs10 to Rs12 million annually. He said that the RCB had also reduced the application fees and development charges in its jurisdiction.

Application forms fee had been reduced from Rs200 to Rs100, General Land Register duplicate copy fee from Rs300 to Rs150, development charges for commercial units from Rs1,000 to Rs750 per square yard and development charges for domestic units from Rs300 to Rs175 per square yard.

RCB Cantonment Executive Officer said from now on no late fee would be charged for issuance of birth and death certificates.

The meeting has decided to give three months deadline to water consumers to regularise their connections.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Malik Shakeel Awan criticised the increase in property tax in cantonment areas and urged the federal government to withdraw the decision.

He said that Punjab government withdrew the increase of water charges in city areas. He warned that if the federal
government did not withdraw the decision the PML-N would launch movement against the increase.

It is interesting to mention here that the RCB took the decision of increasing the property tax after taking PML-N MNA Malik Abrar and MPAs Malik Iftikhar and Chaudhry Ayaz on board. However, these legislators did not oppose the decision in the meeting.