DG Excise Sindh says collection system of six more taxes to be computerised from March

In a move to increase provincial revenue and ensure transparency, Sindh Excise and Taxation department will computerise collection system of six more taxes including excise duty, cotton fee, professional tax, hotel tax, property tax and entertainment tax from the first week of March, 2013.
This was stated by Shoaib Siddique, Director General Excise, Sindh in an interview here on Saturday.
"Motor Vehicle tax and Infrastructure cess are already online, but these will also be up-graded in this financial year. The province would get more than double revenue through Excise and Taxation department within the next three financial years," he said.
Siddique said that for computerisation of taxes a private firm had prepared required software and data-feeding process was underway. Initially, the system would be computerised in few cities with total up-gradation by the end of June this year.
All this would be possible as a result of all out support extended to the department by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and its allies in Sindh Government, he added.
Comparing the figures of current tax collection with last financial year's (2011-12) figures, he said that the department had collected Rs 1888.006 million in FY 2011-12 in the head of Motor vehicle tax while in just seven months of current fiscal year, the collection reached Rs 1754.796 million which would further go up by the end of June, he added.
Similarly, collection of excise duty in FY 2011-12 was Rs 1562.979 million which has currently reached Rs 1263.369 million, collection of Infrastructure cess in FY 2011-12 was Rs 10094.647 million and up to January 2013, it reached Rs 9054.647 million.
"Cotton fee collection of FY 2011-12 was 113.684 million, which has now reached Rs 48.906 million while professional tax collection was Rs 168.749 million and now it is Rs 170.141 million, Hotel tax was Rs 86.354 million and currently it is Rs 83.678 million, property tax was Rs 1069.197 million now it stands at Rs 1052.282 million. The department also collected Rs 17.372 million under the head of entertainment tax in FY 201-12 while the collection of seven months of FY 2012-13 stood at Rs 16.295 million," he added.
Elaborating further, the DG Excise & Taxation said that the department had increased its revenue collection to Rs 28.319 billion from Rs 16.009 billion in FY 2008-09.
He said that through the efforts of a professional team the department succeeded in achieving the collection target of Rs 10.579 billion in FY 2007-08, Rs 16.009 billion in FY 2008-09, Rs 17.399 billion in FY 2009.10, Rs 19.903 billion in FY 2010-11 and Rs 28.282 billion in last financial year. He further said that the department was working on a scheme namely "Up-gradation and Rejuvenation of Motor vehicle tax." With the implementation of the scheme, all districts of the province would be made on-line for the recovery of this very important tax of provincial government, he added.
He said that the motor vehicle sector was vibrant that's why the department was getting more revenue from this sector.
According to official data, more than 3.9 million vehicles including private and commercial four wheelers, motor bikes and others are plying on the roads of the province, he informed.
Siddique further said that the department would online register all types of vehicles with universal number plates from every nook and corner of the province under the said scheme.
To a question about Infrastructure cess, he said that the department had made agreement with PRAL in 2003, to collect this tax online which did not work due to some technical issues between PRAL and Customs.
Later, after four years the department again signed an agreement with PRAL to online the cess, which is working satisfactorily.
To another question regarding the performance of Excise police, Shoaib Siddique said that police was striving hard for recovery of illegal vehicles, drugs and other articles despite lack of latest equipments and training facilities.
During the last seven months, excise police had registered 132 cases of different nature and arrested 143 people involved in illegal excise related-activities.
"1390.27 Kg hashish, 6.2 Kg heroine, 2740 Kg bhang, 1650 Kg opium, 119 bottles of foreign liquor, 40200 litters of illicit liquor, one rocket launcher, 64 hand grenades, three Kalashnikovs, eight suicide jackets and 13 vehicles have also been recovered by Excise Police," he said. The department was trying hard to train all its officers from ANF training centers.