'Steps to enhance tax net help generate additional Rs 2bn this year'

FAISALABAD: Excise & Taxation and Anti-Narcotics Punjab, Director General Saleha Saeed on Wednesday said the focus of excise department was to enhance tax net and for this purpose, multiple steps had been taken to enable the department for generating additional Rs 2 billion during the current financial year.

Addressing a news conference here at excise office, she said that technological advancement had enabled the department to collect and maintain accurate record and potential of recovery.

Induction of new technology would completely weed out the exploitation by minimizing contact between taxpayers and tax collector, she said, adding it would also help enhance tax net through reliable data.

She said the department had decided to include precious and costly properties which were earlier exempted from tax net. He appreciated the steps taken by the Punjab government and said it helped collecting additional Rs 2 billion and abolishing exploitation trend.

The E&T DG said that properties on highways would be brought into tax net form next financial year as the government had finalized its mechanism and it would be major source of revenue in future.

Regarding issuance of smart cards, she said the issue had been resolved and so far more than 100,000 cards had been provided to vehicle owners. In this connection 46 counters have been established throughout Punjab to facilitate the citizens, she added.

To a question, Saleha Saeed said that website of excise department was live and updated and people could calculate their tax and check other relevant details.

Regarding issuance of number plates, she said that 20,000 number plates would be manufactured daily from March which would be delivered to the owners.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of Faisalabad office and said that the excise office Faisalabad had achieved 60 percent recovery target during first six months of financial year which was 10 percent more than as compared to the period of preceding year.

She said that all possible steps would be taken to ensure efficient performance and implementation of government priorities.

Earlier, Director Excise Faisalabad Ahmed Saeed briefed the Director General about the performance.