PESHAWAR: The Development Actional Cell (DAC) of the University of Peshawar signed a grant agreement with the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ) to develop a proposal for reforms in Urban Immovable Property Tax in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
As per the agreement, the DAC will conduct a study on the Urban Immovable Property Tax system in KP, and based on the outcome of the study, it will propose suggestions for reforms and improvement to the KP Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Department in the Urban Immovable Property Tax (UIPT) system. The GIZ will provide financial and technical assistance in conducting the study and drafting the proposal.
The grant agreement ceremony between GIZ and DAC was held at the University of Peshawar on Thursday attended by the Vice-Chancellor University of Peshawar Prof. Dr. Muhammad Idrees, Secretary Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Syed Haider Iqbal as the guest of honour, GIZ head of programme LoGo-II Mr. Sanjeev Pokharel, Chairperson Economics Department Dr. Naila Nazir, Team Leader KP-UIPT- PDA Mr. Khalid Mehmood and Coordinator DAC Dr. Kashif Saeed.
Speaking at the occasion Secretary Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Syed Haider Iqbal welcomed the suggestions and input for the improvement of the system saying that his department is short of manpower to conduct the study. “The study will help us in fixing any loopholes in the system and will help in increasing the tax collection which has potential,” he said.
GIZ Head of Programme LoGo-II Mr. Sanjeev Pokharel said that UIPT concerns the local government which is why it is very important and improvement in the collection and overall UIPT system will help in improvement in services delivery at local government level. “I am happy that the esteemed Economics Department of the University of Peshawar is working on the project,” he said.
The Economics Department Chairperson Dr. Naila Nazir called the study an honour for her department and extended full support of her department. ” It is an honour for our department to conduct the research for the improvement for the Urban Immovable Property Tax System,” she said adding that the study will identify bottlenecks in the system and will give suggestions in the proposal to the government for improvement.
