Punjab Excise's collection increased to Rs32mn

LAHORE: Provincial Minister Excise & Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said on Wednesday that the ratio of annual tax collection of the department increased from Rs. 8 million to Rs. 32 million due to the efficiency and transparency introduced in the system.

Addressing a seminar held in connection with Tax Day celebrations at a local hotel, he said that no development was possible without an effective revenue collection system. When masses believed that their tax money would be spent to facilitate them, he added, they would never consider tax as burden for them.

It was need of the hour to make the tax collection system transparent and expand its net in order to collect more revenue. Mian Mujtaba said Excise Department had been put on modern lines during last ten years by ensuring computerization, transparency and expansion in tax net of the department.

There was a time when all the system was being run manually but now 90 percent of the department had been switch over to digitalization, which helped a lot to curb corruption.

Moreover, due to centralized system of motor vehicle registration, not only the citizens had been facilitated but the criminal and terrorist elements had also been captured, he mentioned and disclosed that Excise Department was planning to introduce universal number plate system during the next phase which would provide the same serial number for the whole of the province.

The department was also planning to receive taxes through online system and State Bank had allowed five national banks to collect taxes under online system.

The department, he said, had also decided to introduce smart registration cards having such security features which had not so been provided by any other province.

Provincial Minister said that facilitation centers for collection of revenue from motor vehicle and property owners would be set up at all the nine divisional headquarters till June this year.

He said that payment of tax should be considered as national obligation and not the burden, adding that an awareness campaign in this regard must be launched at college and university level.

Later, talking to the media, the Minister said that there was no future of those elements who changed their political loyalties.

PML would win the next election with heavy mandate once again in South Punjab as Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had completed a number of mega development schemes in the area.

He said that people would foil every conspiracy. To a question, he said that Chaudhry Nisar was a senior leader of their party and he would never leave PML.

The seminar was also addressed by Secretary Excise, DG Excise and other speakers. In order to sensitize the participants of the seminar a number of stalls and presentations by the partner departments were also arranged.

Moreover, the companies and the persons who paid large amount of taxes last year were also given shields during the seminar. Secretary Excise Dr. Ahmed Bilal, DG Excise Akram Ashraf Gondal, DG Narcotics Control Raja Zahid Hussain and a large number of officers and officials of the department were present on the occasion.