The meeting was interactive in which the CPNE members asked questions and the chief minister responded them in a very cordial atmosphere. The chief minister said that his government was working in close coordination with the federal government to finalise the NFC award. "The stand of my government is very clear-just we want the provincial government should have the rights to collect sales tax on goods," he said and added the provincial government was very close to the consumers and it could collect sales tax on goods in a better way and could expand the collection net. The collected amount may be distributed by the federal government amongst the provinces as per share.
Giving an example of collection of sales tax on services, the chief minister said that ever since the Sindh government has been given the collection right the provincial government has made record collection. "Just last year we have collected Rs 61 billion and this year we have set a target of Rs 78 billion," he said and recalled that the federal government used to give hardly Rs 8.6 billion to the Sindh government.
Replying to another question, he said that he had raised the issues of exorbitant toll tax being collected at M-9 (Super Highway and now Motorway), number collection booths and requirement of dualisation of Jamshoro-Sehwan Road. "I had also told him that the construction of M-9 has claimed a number of lives," he said. On this, Qazi Asad said that 650 people died in road accidents during the construction of M-9. The chief minister said that the prime minister announced to dualisation of Jamshoro-Sehwan Road in his speech and latter assured him that he would personally look into the issue of exorbitant toll tax. The CPNE members also said that the quality of Motorway was not of a Motorway standard.
The chief minister replying yet another question said that the city of Karachi has witnessed unplanned growth. On the one hand people were leading miserable life due to worst law and order situation and on the other the land mafia was active and had started grabbing lands along the nallas, at slump areas and vacant plots of public and private sector when the government was busy in fighting against terrorists and outlaws. This was the basic reason that the government could not pay its required heed towards the development or reconstruction of the existing road infrastructure.
"Under first and top most priority the government restored law and order and launched operation against land grabbers and have cleared some nallas and also going against land mafia with full vigour. Simultaneously, the government has started reconstruction work of the existing road network, redesigning some flyovers and also constructing new flyovers and underpasses. "I am sure by the end of June Karachi would be a different city, the city of lights, the city of opportunities and the city of business, trade and commerce," he vowed.
The chief minister said that the riverine floods of 2010 and flash floods of 2011 had destroyed infrastructure network in 16 districts of Sindh. Therefore, reconstruction of the road networks and bridges have also been started under different modes such as Public-Private Partnership, BOT basis and others in central, Northern and Southern parts of the province.
About the powers of the mayor, Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the mayor and other local bodies have been given full municipal functions. Their funding transfer system has also been streamlined. Presently, the government was giving more than Rs 60 billion to local bodies. "Actually, the local bodies people want the power they had under Musharraf arrangement," he said and added that the Musharraf's arrangement of local bodies powers were aimed at weakening the provincial government.
He said that the garbage lifting issues would be solved shortly. He further added that the two districts of Karachi, South and East had officially requested Sindh Solid Waste Management Authority (SSWMA) to outsource the sweeping and lifting of garbage work of their areas.
He said through a competitive process a Chinese firm has been given the contract of sweeping and garbage lifting from front-end to garbage transfer station (GTS) and work would be started within next 15 days. The machinery has landed at the sea port and within next one week it would be cleared by the customs.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) has been included in the CPEC for which the provincial government was working hard to meet the requirement of the CPEC formalities. "I am sure we would start work on KCR by October or November," he said.
Replying to a question, the chief minister said that there was a federal cabinet committee on energy but in the committee only the chief minister of Punjab was invited. "I had raised this issue with the prime minister and now he has started inviting me also," he said.
Talking about traffic jams, the chief minister said that most of the builders have converted the parking of their plazas into shops. "We have started taking action and this action would be intensified very soon", he said. He agreed with CPNE members that the conversion of 1000 sq yard bungalows into high rises have exerted pressure on utilities and infrastructure. The chief minister told them that the issue was on his agenda and would make a clear policy shortly.
The CPNE members urged the chief minister to order audit of the previous local governments worked under Musharraf tenure.
The CPNE members lauded the performance, energy and dedication of the chief minister in discharging his duties. He thanked them for meeting with him and supporting him. Those who attended the meeting include Shaheen Qureshi, Aamer Mahmood, Wamiq Zuberi, Imtiaz Alam, Dr Jabbar Khatak, Qazi Asad Abid and others.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017