Sindh Local Government Commission Reviews Town Tax Disputes and Municipal Services
KARACHI: A meeting of the Sindh Provincial Local Government Commission, chaired by Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, reviewed issues concerning various town councils, provision of municipal services, tax collection disputes and measures to strengthen the local government system.
Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Wasim Shamshad, Commission Chairman Rahim Soomro, MPA Imdad Pitafi and chairmen of various towns attended the meeting.
The meeting examined disputes between different towns regarding tax collection, with the positions and arguments of the concerned parties heard in detail.
Nasir Hussain Shah said providing basic municipal services to citizens at their doorstep and resolving issues faced by town councils in a timely manner remained among the provincial government’s top priorities.
He stressed the need for coordinated cooperation between government departments, relevant institutions and elected local representatives to improve municipal service delivery.
The minister said issues concerning the collection of milching animal tax between towns would also be resolved soon to improve the tax collection system and facilitate local governments in effectively utilising their available resources.
Shah emphasised that greater devolution of powers to the grassroots level was essential for effective and timely municipal service delivery. He said strong and empowered local governments could play a key role in addressing civic problems at the local level.
He said practical measures would be taken to resolve issues faced by local government institutions while keeping legal and administrative requirements in view. Disputes between towns, he added, would be resolved on the basis of facts, law and merit rather than merely administrative considerations.
The minister said the Provincial Local Government Commission would ensure transparency in its decisions and would not allow injustice to any party.
He stressed that there was no room for unnecessary delays in matters concerning public interest, adding that timely resolution of town-level issues would improve municipal services and overall local government performance.
The meeting also emphasised that town administrations should make effective use of available resources to improve sanitation, drainage, tax collection and other essential municipal services.
Participants further stressed the need to resolve inter-town disputes through mutual understanding and established legal procedures.
Shah reiterated that the Sindh government was taking all necessary measures to strengthen the local government system and address public grievances promptly, with all disputes to be decided according to the principles of merit, law and transparency.
