Punjab to introduce a unified sanitation services fee — Dawn

In Pakistan’s Punjab province, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department is set to begin collecting sanitation service fees in all urban areas. On September 21, the department signed a corresponding agreement with the Suthra Punjab Authority, Dawn reports.

The decision was made after the provincial government approved a unified model for collecting sanitation fees in cities. The Punjab Cabinet endorsed it at its 36th meeting on August 6. Starting from the 2026–2027 financial year, the department will be responsible for collecting payments, while arrears on previous bills will be collected by the Suthra Punjab Authority.

Rates for housing and businesses

The monthly fee for residential properties of up to five marlas will be 300 Pakistani rupees, while small businesses will pay 500 rupees. For homes measuring from five to 10 marlas, the rate has been set at 500 rupees, and for medium-sized businesses at 1,000 rupees.

Owners of large businesses will pay 3,000 rupees per month. Rates of 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 rupees have been set for properties measuring 10 to 20 marlas, 20 to 40 marlas, and more than 40 marlas, respectively.

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Unified consumer database

The department will be able to include the sanitation fee in the annual property tax bill. Its duties will include surveys, database creation, bill issuance, printing and distribution, fund collection, and payment reconciliation. The authority will transfer 1% of the total billed amount to the department in advance through the finance department.

Under the agreement, the department must create a comprehensive consumer database with unique identifiers, remove duplicate records, update information and register new consumers. It will also handle service-related complaints and maintain a mechanism for their referral and tracking.

The agreement does not apply to urban areas under the jurisdiction of cantonments, DHA and private housing schemes, where their own systems for cleaning, solid waste management and billing are already in place. The Suthra Punjab Authority, together with the finance department and audit bodies, will be able to inspect the department’s operations related to bills, receipts, deposits and expenditures.