F.P. Report
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over Ease of Doing Business Reforms Council has directed Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR) to reduce registration and transfer of property period from 149 days to six days by empowering investors/people to apply online.
The CM Sindh said, “I am fed up with sub-registrar offices so either correct them or pack them up I will hand over the registration work to private sector”, said a statement on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by leading businessperson, including World Bank representative Amjad Bashir, CEO Hubco Khalid Mansoor, President FPCCI Mian Amjad Nisar, President KCCI Agha Shahab Ahmed, President OICCI Shahzad Dada, President ABAD, CEO Sindh Health Care Dr Minhaj Kidwai, Chairman Amreli Steel, Chairman Gul Ahmed Mohammad Bashir, President Pasha Ms Jehan Ara.
The CM Sindh was assisted by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D M. Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro.
The chief minister specially called the heads of 10 different government agencies such as CEO KE Syed Monis Abdullah, MD KWSB Asadullah Khan, DG EPA, DG Food authority, representative of SBCA, Commissioner SESSI, Commissioner Karachi and other concerned. He said the purpose of inviting all leading businessmen and heads of their organisation was to take inputs from them so that business environment could be improved and made up to the mark.
“I have to bring a lot of investment in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Thatta regions,” he said and added therefore, he would take drastic measures to facilitate investors, he said. The Senior Member Board of Revenue admitted that registration of property and its transfer take 149 days to six months, therefore he would launch an online application where people would be able to apply for registration and the system would automatically generate transfer or registration.
The CM Sindh directed the SMBR to make it from six months to six days and said he was going to launch the online application by the end of this February. Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the SMBR to outsource Board of Revenue’s call center which has failed to redress public complaints. We need efficient system and manpower, otherwise ask them to pack up, he directed SMBR.
The Secretary Investment gave a detailed briefing on issues of the problems, red-tapism, lethargy and inefficiency of the government system. The chief minister took a decision that SMBR would launch an online application and appoint two sub-registrar on special duty who would deal and expedite the registration, transfer and mutation cases which lingered on by the concerned sub-registrar for more than three days.
It was also decided that e-stamping stsyem would be launched at the earliest by amending the law in the assembly. The CM Sindh said that over 200 multinational companies were working in Karachi and he wanted to provide them more and more facilities so that they could thrive their business more and more.
He said the SBCA had established a single window facility to all categories of building, therefore he directed KWSB and Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to establish an inter-agency arrangement. It was pointed out that KMC, KDA and MDA were using the portal and the chief secretary was directed to ask the Lyari Development Authority to sing up Portal latest by June 30.
A proposal was given by the industrialists to outsource inspection of under-construction buildings under SBCA Regulation. They suggested to hand over the inspection work to the Association of Builders and Developers. The Secretary Investment said that Lahore Development Authority had introduced inspection of under-construction buildings through a private party.
It was also decided to establish dedicated and automated commercial courts/benches at Karachi District courts for fast track settlement of business disputes of value upto Rs 2 million by amending CPC 1908. The chief minister issued directives to law department to provide a roadmap within 30 days.
The Secretary Investment told the meeting that the SESSI had established the Collection & Benefits Portal by accepting Over the Counter (OTC) payment in collaboration of the MCD, PITB and SESSI Counter. Therefore, the chief minister directed SESSI commissioner to ensure all logins active within next 30 days.
It was pointed out by Secretary Njam Shah that Right of Way permission for Local Government bodies for new connections has a lengthy procedure. The chief minister directed secretary local government to introduce quick turnaround time for these permissions. “I want e-system for the requests and permission, he said.
The CM Sindh also directed Secretary Energy to automate wiring certificates and it must be done within a month. The chief minister also directed the chief secretary to personally monitor the simplification of trade licenses. These license must be issued within 15 days.
It was decided to convert low-risk trade licenses into notification without any fees. It must be consolidated so that one license could operate across Sindh, he said and ordered online application, renewal and payment of license fee totally automated. The meeting agreed that the council would be meeting every month so that all the outstanding issues could be resolved at the highest forum.
