Karachi, September 5, 2025 – Khurram Ijaz, former Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Secretary General of the ruling Businessmen Panel, has strongly demanded that the Sindh Government allocate Infrastructure Cess revenues for the rehabilitation of Karachi’s collapsing infrastructure.
He emphasized that billions of rupees collected annually should not remain idle in provincial accounts but must directly benefit the country’s commercial capital.
Ijaz highlighted Karachi’s role as the lifeline of Pakistan’s economy. With over 90 percent of imports and exports passing through the city’s ports, he stressed that any disruption in its infrastructure reverberates across the national supply chain. The recent spell of heavy rainfall, which left thousands of vehicles stranded on broken roads and flooded streets, illustrated the urgent need for investment. “A single day of rain paralyzes logistics and causes massive financial losses to importers, exporters, and transporters,” he said.
According to Ijaz, the Sindh Government collected Rs160 billion in Infrastructure Cess during FY 2024–25, with a five-year collection of around Rs800 billion. Despite this significant revenue stream, Karachi’s drainage systems, port access routes, and road networks remain in dire condition. He reminded that the cess is levied at 1.85 percent on imports and exports and is collected automatically through the computerized customs system without additional administrative costs to the province.
Ijaz calculated that the cess yields an average of Rs13.33 billion monthly, Rs438 million daily, and Rs533 million on each working day. “The Sindh Government earns nearly half a billion rupees a day without lifting a finger, yet Karachi cannot withstand a single rainfall,” he remarked.
He urged the provincial administration to earmark a fixed share of the cess specifically for Karachi’s port corridors and civic infrastructure while using the remaining funds for broader provincial development. Additionally, he called for the publication of an annual utilization report to ensure transparency.
Concluding, Ijaz asserted that the Sindh Government has adequate financial resources at its disposal. What is needed, he said, is transparent, corruption-free spending to uplift Karachi, which in turn would strengthen Pakistan’s overall trade and economy.