K Electric has agreed to collect KMC taxes through electricity bills: Commissioner Karachi

By
Web Desk
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  • K-Electric has agreed to collect KMC taxes through KE bills, says Commissioner Karachi Afzan Zaidi.
  • Zaidi urges Sindh government to request the federal government for permission from NEPRA.
  • The commissioner writes a letter to the provincial energy department in this regard. 


KARACHI: K-Electric has agreed to collect Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) taxes through electricity bills, said Commissioner Karachi Afzal Zaidi on Wednesday.

Zaidi has written a letter to the provincial energy department regarding the collection of taxes through monthly bills from the citizens of Karachi, in which he urged the Sindh government to request the federal government for permission from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

In the letter, the commissioner has highlighted that KMC has been collecting municipal utility tax since 2008 and according to the Local Government Act, KMC can collect taxes through a third party.

On Saturday, the federal government had refused to allow Sindh to collect the KMC tax through KE bills, terming the proposed measure a burden on Karachiites.

Earlier, the Sindh government proposed the collection of two KMC taxes — fire tax and conservancy tax — through monthly electricity bills sent to residents to ensure their recovery.

However, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had said that the federal government would not allow Sindh to charge KMC taxes in electricity bills.