Punjab Province

The Punjab government has linked payment of the garbage tax, also known as the sanitation fee, to the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) required for property transactions. Owners with outstanding dues will not be issued an NOC to sell or transfer their property, potentially halting the transaction.

Excise officials said bill distribution began across Punjab, including Lahore, on September 1, with around 1.4 million bills delivered so far. More than Rs 24 million has been collected over the past two months. The distribution of the remaining first-quarter bills is under way, while second-quarter bills are scheduled to be issued from January 1.

Punjab has around five million property units. According to officials, nearly 20 per cent are located in housing societies and towns where administrations already charge residents for sanitation and waste collection. These areas will be exempt from the government’s garbage tax. Residents can also obtain their bills online by entering their property number on the Excise Department’s website. Reports say the sanitation fee varies according to a property’s use and size.

The monthly charge for residential properties is Rs 300 for plots of up to five marlas, Rs 500 for five to 10 marlas, Rs 1,000 for 10 to 20 marlas, Rs 2,000 for 20 to 40 marlas and Rs 5,000 for properties larger than 40 marlas. Commercial properties are charged between Rs 500 and Rs 3,000 a month, depending on the size of the business. Previously, property owners generally had to clear their property tax dues to obtain an NOC. Under the new requirement, they must also pay any applicable sanitation fee before seeking clearance. The government says the fee will support the province’s cleanliness programme.

The Punjab Horticulture Authority’s jurisdiction has been extended to all 41 districts of the province, establishing an administrative framework for the upkeep of green spaces across Punjab.

Director General Ahmad Usman Javed said in a statement on Saturday that notifications had been issued to establish district horticulture agencies in 20 districts. They include Bahawalnagar, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Chakwal, Attock, Layyah, Rajanpur, Kasur, Pakpattan, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Lodhran, Vehari, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Talagang, Kot Addu, Taunsa and Wazirabad.
Javed said extending the authority’s reach across all districts had expanded the administrative arrangements for maintaining green spaces throughout the province.

The statement did not provide details about the establishment of agencies in the remaining districts or any further steps in that regard.

Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Tahir Farooq visited Pine Axes and Pine Executive in LDA City and reviewed ongoing development work at both projects. He said Pine Axes, located at a prominent site on Pine Avenue, would become a new commercial centre for the city. Pine Executive, he added, was being developed as a residential project offering one-kanal plots.

Officials briefed the DG that public interest in both projects was increasing. Plots in Pine Axes and Pine Executive have been launched in the market. The first phase includes 8-marla and 2-kanal commercial plots in Pine Axes, as well as one-kanal residential plots in Pine Executive.

Tahir Farooq said the plots, located on Pine Avenue, would be allotted through balloting on a two-year instalment plan. The deadline to apply for the balloting is December 3. Applicants can submit their applications online through the LDA website.

Following the visit, Farooq chaired a meeting on development work and land acquisition in LDA City. Additional DG UP, the LDA chief engineer, the director of LDA City, Chief Town Planner-II, the director of auctions, the director of engineering for LDA City and other relevant officials attended.