FAISALABAD, July 3: The district government has imposed 28 new taxes while increasing the existing rate of a number of items from 100 to 1,150 per cent for the financial year 2004-2005.

The district Nazim in his budget speech had claimed that no new tax was being imposed on the people of six tehsils - City, Sadar, Chak Jhumra, Tandlianwala, Samundri and Jaranwala. Rather, relief had been given to inhabitants of the district by abolition of toll tax from 10 main roads. But the fact remains that huge taxes have been approved in the budget without fulfilling codal requirements.

The budget document gives out that the district government has imposed 28 new fees and taxes on various trades, business and even cottage industries.

The recovery of these taxes has been started by the Zila Council on its own instead of awarding contracts to the private parties.

Insiders inform that the staff deputed for the recovery of taxes and fees has also been directed to charge new tariff and deposit them in the treasury according to new schedule of rates.

According to the Zila Council budget document, Rs10,000 have been fixed on cold storage, Rs2,000 on showroom furniture, Rs500 on wood furniture, Rs5,000 on coal charcoal coke, Rs1,000 on paper sale business and store, Rs5,000 on paper cone gatta factory, Rs1,000 on lubricants sale, Rs1,500 on agency of soft drinks, Rs2,000 on cloth packing, Rs1,000 on thread dying, Rs500 on tent service, Rs3,000 on business of liquid chemical and Rs3,000 on marble business.

The provincial and district governments bosses had been claiming that special package of incentives were being provided to the industrialists, traders and owners of cottage industries. But the schedule of rates and imposition of new taxes on almost all the textile and its ancillary units have exposed all such claims of the government.

Around Rs50,000 have been imposed on spinning mills (large), Rs10,000 on spinning mills (small), Rs5,000 on chemical mills (small), Rs5,000 on medium type of storage, Rs3,000 on small storage, Rs10,000 on printing processing units (small), Rs10,000 on printing, dying and processing units, Rs6,000 on medium units of printing, dying and processing, Rs3,000 on printing, processing and dying units (small), Rs3,000 on processing cleaning units, Rs6,000 on rotary units, Rs2,000 on kothaly, Rs2,000 on tent preparing, Rs1,000 on tent services and Rs500 on takki (cloth piece units) factory hand wash.The budget document further reveals that the annual tax for polyester fibre mills has been enhanced from Rs2,000 to Rs25,000, which is 1,150 per cent higher than the previous year's rate.

Similarly, about 900 per cent increase has been made in the tax on oil depots as Rs50,000 have been fixed against Rs5,000 of the previous year's rates.

The fee for the CNG filling stations which was Rs2,000 in the year 2003-4 has now been fixed at Rs5,000, increasing the tariff by 150 per cent.

Likewise, Rs2,000 tax has been approved for takki factory as against Rs1,000 only of the previous year rate.

With the inclusion of 28 new items under the tax net of the Zila Council, the number of taxable trades and professions has gone upto 75.

GCU budget: The Government College University syndicate on Saturday approved a budget of Rs196.51 million with a deficit of Rs4.961 million.

The budget was presented by registrar Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed in the syndicate meeting, held here with vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Asif Iqbal Khan, in the chair.

The budget document said the GCU income had increased from Rs30.256 million in 2002-2003 and Rs96.413 in 2003-2004 to Rs131,616 million this year, indicating an increase of 218.6per cent.

Speaking at the session, the vice-chancellor said Rs117.48 million would be spent on the salaries and other allowances of the university's employees while the contingent expenses would be Rs79.43 million. The Rs4.961 million deficit would be narrowed down by adopting certain economy measures.

Mr Asif Iqbal said the university had decided to introduce 10 new subjects during the current academic session which included BCA, visual communication, telecommunication, fine arts, B.pharmacy, M.Com, home economics, psychology, industrial chemistry and environmental sciences.