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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Commuters feel the pinch as cab drivers stay firm on ‘fare by meter'
Pune: Cab users on Friday continued to face the high-headedness of cab drivers — adamant on charging fares by the meter (RTA rates) — proving several rounds of meetings with government officials a futile exercise. Avinash Jatav, a bank professional, landed in Pune from Delhi on Friday morning. He had to go to Hinjewadi Phase-1. He said, "The cabbie accepted my ride, and a fare of Rs480 reflected on the application. But the man told me about the pay-by-meter rule and demanded Rs560. I somehow forced him to cancel the ride and took a prepaid autorickshaw for Rs530. I have never heard about such a rule in any city," Jatav said. Commuters trying to book cabs from Uber and other aggregators echoed Jatav. They said most cabbies remained firm on charging "fares by meter", resulting in many cancelling rides because of high fares and few budging under pressure. Cabbies term the Regional Transport Authority (RTA)'s rates "fare by meter". You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Wagholi resident Ashish Deokar said authorities, particularly the Pune RTO (Regional Transport Officer) officials, were responsible for the cabbies' stubbornness. "They never took any action against this practice when it began with autorickshaws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo Had they acted strictly, the situation wouldn't have worsened. Last week, an Ola driver demanded Rs250 for a trip from Pune station to FC Road, a distance of around 5km. Does this make any sense?" he said. TOI's attempts to contact the Pune RTO and the deputy RTO proved futile. Another RTO official said, "We didn't take action because we didn't want a major agitation, which would have caused more issues. The cab aggregator policy is coming. It will settle all problems." Magarpatta's IT professional Atul Singh (name changed on request) and his three friends are still in a shock over their nightmarish experience with an Uber driver on Thursday afternoon. We went for a team outing to Katraj and booked an Uber from Keshavnagar — our meeting point. We opted for an 'Uber for Business' ride, but the driver didn't accept it. He told us that we would have to pay by the 'meter'. The application showed a fare of Rs280, but we ended up paying Rs500," he said. "One of my colleagues raised an issue on the Uber application, to which the driver got agitated and forcibly took a picture of his PAN card. He threatened that if his ID was cancelled because of the complaint, the consequences would be dire," Singh said. On Thursday, Keshav Kshirsagar, the president of the Indian Gig Workers' Front, said cabbies would be boycotting Uber indefinitely because it went to the Bombay high court against them. There was no major surge in fare in the application on Friday, but Kshirsagar said soon the boycott would have its effects. "Information is being spread to all the cab drivers at the moment," he said.
Express Tribune
16-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt plans tax to counter India's water threat
Pakistan has sought the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) permission to impose a special 1% tax on every taxable product produced in the country, except electrical energy and medicines, to fund two mega water storage dams as a solution to deal with Indian water aggression. The decision to impose a new cess has been taken after majority of the provincial governments showed reluctance to finance the early completion of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and the Mohmand Dam, according to the sources in the Ministry of Water Resource and the Ministry of Finance. However, the government was also meeting opposition from the IMF, which has urged the federal government to try to find a space within the approved Rs1 trillion federal Public Sector Development programme, the sources revealed. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam worth Rs480 billion and Mohmand Dam – originally estimated to cost Rs310 billion – had been approved in 2018 but still a minimum Rs540 billion was needed for their completion. India has threatened to cut water supplies after it held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance in violation of the treaty provisions and in the breach of the international law. Islamabad has plainly told India that any such act would be considered as an act of war. The sources said that as an alternate strategy, Pakistan has decided to fast track the construction of the two dams. However, due to its political priorities and pressing demands by the coalition partners, the government has reduced the water sector development budget by 28% to Rs133 billion for the next fiscal year. Now it wants to offset this by introducing a new tax. The sources said that the government has decided to levy a 1% cess on the gross value of all local taxable supplies to raise the additional funds, subject to the approval by the IMF and by parliament. They said that all the goods produced in Pakistan and subjected to tax are proposed to be charged at a new cess rate of 1%. The goods that are currently exempted from the sales tax under the Sixth Schedule, or are charged at a zero rate under the Fifth Schedule of the sales tax law would be immune to the cess. Likewise, the electrical energy goods and pharmaceutical goods are proposed to be exempted from the new cess. Cess is different from a normal tax and it can only be levied for a specific purpose, like the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) that had been imposed to fund Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline. Effectively, every good produced in Pakistan and consumed by all households would be subject to 1% new special tax, said the sources. The Ministry of Finance spokesman Qumar Abbasi and the Secretary Water Resources Ministry Syed Ali Murtaza did not respond to the request for comments. They have been asked to confirm the development and also the IMF's position. A senior Finance Ministry official said that the proposal was under consideration but the discussions with the IMF were still going on. He said that the cess would not be imposed through the Finance Act 2025, and instead a new separate bill will be introduced in parliament, subject to the IMF clearance. In the case of GIDC, the Supreme Court has decided that the cess can only be levied for a specific purpose and it requires separate legislation. This binds the government's hands from introducing the cess through the Finance Act, which is currently under discussion in parliament. The GIDC case is also an example of how the government is indifferent. The textile and fertiliser companies have not yet deposited over Rs400 billion in the kitty despite collecting those from the consumers. The finance and petroleum ministries are not able to make an effective strategy. One of the options is that instead of levy a new 1% cess, the government should amend the GIDC law and divert the already collected money towards building dams. On the intervention of the Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz, the government has again constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to recover the GIDC. But this committee too is moving at a snail's pace. The sources said that the IMF's view was that the government should fund the dam projects from the PSDP instead of imposing more burden on the people. However, the Ministry of Water Resources has informed the government that it would take 15 years to complete the Mohmand Dam and over 20 years to finish work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam at the current pace of the budget allocations. The PSDP is already overstretched and there is no space to fund these projects beyond the allocations made in the new budget, said Ahsan Iqbal, the federal minister for Planning and Development. He said that out of the Rs1 trillion allocations, effectively, Rs640 billion was available for funding the PSDP. Iqbal said that the remaining Rs360 billion had been allocated for spending on N-25 Karachi-Quetta road, provincial schemes and special areas' allocations. The sources said that after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also chaired a special meeting with the provinces to convince them to fund these two dams to deal with Indian aggression. In a follow-up meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, the provinces except Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa showed reluctance to fund federal projects, said the sources. The cost of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam had been estimated at Rs480 billion seven years ago and it still needs Rs365 billion more to complete the work against a price that is likely to increase further. For the next fiscal year, only Rs25 billion has been allocated for project, which is even less than this fiscal year. Likewise, the Mohmand Dam was approved at a cost of Rs310 billion seven years ago and it still requires a minimum of Rs173 billion more at the old price. Only Rs35.7 billion has been allocated in the new fiscal year. Earlier this week, Ahsan Iqbal said that the government has advanced the completion of both the projects by two years and these dams will be completed by 2030. He said that on completion, Pakistan will have 7 million acre feet of additional water storage capacity. Pakistan's two reservoirs Tarbela and Mangla dams are facing storage related issues due to sedimentation and other technical issues. The Sindh government has given a deficit budget for the next fiscal year and also showed zero-balance for the outgoing fiscal year. This has surprised many, as the provincial government had a cash surplus of Rs395 billion till March this year, according to the Ministry of Finance's fiscal operations summary. For the next fiscal year, Sindh has shown a Rs38.5 billion deficit budget, which defeats the IMF's core objective of getting Rs1.4 trillion cash surpluses from all the four provinces.
Business Recorder
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Use of ministry's building: Senate panel briefed about non-payment of rent by NAB
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Housing and Works was briefed on Tuesday about the non-payment of rent since March 2021 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the use of a building of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Federal Lodges, Wafaqi Colony, Dhana Singh Wala, Lahore. It was revealed that a total of Rs480 million outstanding has not yet been paid by the NAB to the ministry, and the building has still not been vacated. It was further informed that the decision on the matter is pending with the Prime Minister's Office. The committee found that no agreement had been signed between the two departments. The chairman expressed serious displeasure over the negligence of the Ministry of Housing and Works. Senator Saifullah Abro urged departments to discourage such practices and to maintain clear documentation when signing agreements. The chairman directed both departments to settle the matter within one month, warning that if they fail to implement the committee's decision, the officers involved in the negligence will be summoned and punished. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, convened Tuesday to identify the reasons for delays in CDA and FGEHA projects, and the unauthorised utilisation of government accommodations by other departments without approval or payment of rent. The chairman of the committee commended the input of all committee members regarding the vacation of illegally possessed accommodations of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, by the Punjab Police. He informed that the Punjab Police had illegally occupied the said accommodations since 1990 and had never paid a single penny in lieu of using them. Punjab Police submitted the compliance report over the directions passed by the committee and upon the directions of the committee, the Punjab Police paid Rs1.6 million in rent, up to the year 2024 and assured the committee that the remaining rent would be paid in the upcoming financial year. While briefing on the progress of the construction of Islamabad Jail, the chairman CDA informed that the project was handed over by PWD to CDA with a revised cost of Rs7.4 billion on 26-06-2024. In Phase I, the construction of the Admin Block and boundary wall has been completed up to 98 percent, and roads and infrastructure up to 75 percent. He added that delays in funding from the Ministry of Planning and Development caused the project's delay. The committee expressed concern over the delay in fund disbursement by the Ministry of Finance and other concerned authorities and directed that the ministries of Planning and Development and Finance be summoned to brief the committee on the delay in releasing funds to the Ministry of Interior for CDA projects. The chairman, upon the request of the chairman CDA, recommended for hiring the human resources required to operate the jail. On the issue of malfunctioning of lifts in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building, the chairman CDA stated that only one out of five lifts was operational. Another lift had been repaired, but three were still not working. However, CDA has urgently issued a tender notice of Rs120 million for the repair of the three lifts. The Committee was informed that in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building and other government offices, some lifts are specifically reserved for VIPs/senior officers, and public or government employees are not allowed to use them. The committee took serious notice of this VIP culture in government buildings and directed CDA to eliminate such practices and ensure all lifts are accessible to the general public. The joint secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, briefed the committee on the seniority list for the allotment of government accommodations to federal employees. He informed the committee that the ministry has a backlog of 26,000 applications, while there are only 17,000 houses available in Islamabad. The committee found the briefing insufficient and directed the ministry to provide a list of illegal allotments and the names of officers involved in such unlawful practices. The committee also ordered the discontinuation of all functions of the Restoration Committee and directed the ministry to submit a report at the next committee meeting. The committee also noted that FGEHA is not awarding tenders uniformly to firms, is not seriously pursuing its projects, and has failed to deliver completed projects to end users. Senator Saifullah Abro criticized the rising costs of FGEHA projects caused by delays on their part, with the burden passed on to the end users. The committee directed FGEHA to submit a list of all ongoing projects, including complete details and associated costs. The meeting was attended by senators, Bilal Ahmed Khan, Saifullah Abro, Husna Bano, Khalida Ateeb, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, and HidayatUllah Khan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
26-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
CDA invites PAC's ire over illegal auctions
A shocking revelation emerged in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting regarding the illegal auction of 23 plots worth Rs37 billion. Committee member Qasim Noon criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA), calling it "the most corrupt institution" with corruption ongoing for years without any accountability. The PAC also ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club. During the meeting, CDA's Member Finance admitted that they had not prepared the financial statements, stating that the 2023-2024 financial statement was ready and would be submitted soon. Member Committee Syed Hussain Tariq expressed concerns, saying, "This is not the proper way." The CDA Chairman assured that future statements would be prepared on time, while the Interior Secretary promised to prevent such issues in the future. Committee member Naveed Qamar raised concerns, emphasising that someone should be held accountable, and suggested that the audit should look into this matter. Audit officials informed that CDA's operations are complex. The Interior Secretary requested two months to resolve the issues, but the CDA Chairman stated that it would take six months to prepare the financial statements. The PAC Chairman agreed, instructing the CDA to submit all financial statements within six months. Qasim Noon reiterated his criticism, describing CDA as the "most corrupt institution" with no one holding them accountable for years. The committee instructed that the issue of the non-transparent auction be referred to the DAC. The PAC also reviewed an audit objection regarding the Gun and Country Club's failure to deposit an additional Rs480 million into the Sports Endowment Fund account. Committee member Hussain Tariq, commented that the institution had never conducted a proper audit. "They were never willing to conduct an audit. How much money did they make and spend over five years?" The PAC Chairman ordered a complete audit of the Gun and Country Club and instructed that a report be submitted within a month. The PAC also discussed audit objections related to the G-B Scouts, particularly the irregular purchase of medical supplies worth over Rs53 million. The committee expressed frustration over the absence of the Director General (DG) and deferred the discussion until his presence. The DG of the Sindh Rangers also failed to attend, prompting the PAC to defer the audit of Sindh Rangers. Regarding the absence of the IG FC in the PAC meeting, the PAC was informed that the IG was engaged in operations due to deteriorating security conditions in the province. This sparked an exchange of remarks among committee members. Rana Qasim pointed out, "The country is in a state of war," while Naveed Qamar humorously suggested, "If the country is at war, should we dissolve the PAC?" Finally, the PAC instructed that all audit paras related to the FC be consolidated and directed recovery actions to be taken.
Express Tribune
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
K-P cabinet briefed on law and order in Kurram
PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet on Monday was briefed on the latest situation in the Kurram tribal district of the province. The 24th meeting of the provincial cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur wherein various key matters were discussed. Cabinet members, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, additional chief secretaries, senior member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries and the advocate general attended the meeting. The cabinet was briefed in detail about the implementation of government decisions aimed at ensuring sustainable peace in Kurram. It was informed that since October last year, 189 people had lost their lives in various incidents of unrest in Kurram. However, due to the continuous efforts of the provincial government, a peace agreement had been signed to restore peace and normalcy in the region. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential goods to the people of the restive district, nine convoys comprising 718 vehicles have so far been sent to Kurram leaving no space for the shortage of essential commodities in the area. It was further revealed that the provincial government had launched a helicopter service to and from Kurram on the direction of the Chief Minister. So far, 153 flights have been carried out using two helicopters that provided air transport facility to approximately 4,000 people. Besides this, 19,000 kilograms of essential medicines have been supplied to Kurram to cater to the medical needs of the patients. It was further revealed that, in line with the Cabinet's decision and the peace agreement, the demolition of illegal bunkers in Kurram was ongoing and 151 bunkers had been dismantled to date. The deadline for the complete removal of all bunkers and for de-weaponisation has been set for March 23. The cabinet also accorded approval for Rs98.3 million to procure explosives for dismantling the remaining illegal bunkers. The meeting also approved the release of 1,645 MT of PASSCO imported wheat lying in Kurram to the general public in the area. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also directed the establishment of security posts at locations from where attacks from long distances could be effectively monitored and countered to secure the lives and properties of the people on a permanent basis. The cabinet also reviewed plans for the restoration of the damaged infrastructure in Kurram. The briefing indicated that the rehabilitation of the destroyed Bagan Bazaar is estimated to cost Rs480 million and that work on the project would commence soon. The cabinet also approved a one-time 5-year relaxation of age and four attempts for PMS candidates due to the fact that the competitive examination had not been conducted for the last so many years. It was also directed that, in future, such a competitive examination should be conducted on an annual basis like the CSS. The cabinet also approved the creation of various posts for the effective utilization of the already installed tube-wells of the Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) irrigation circle.
