Rawalpindi: The Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department has made it mandatory to use a smart card for vehicle registration. It is a big step towards the modernization of the vehicle registration process. This new approach is aimed at simplifying the registration of cars and motorcycles to enhance efficiency.
Backlog Clearance
The upgrade to this smart card system has resulted in the clearance of backlog from the last three months. Now, a backlog of only 1 month is pending for the registrations applied between June 15 to July 20.
Smart Cards Mandatory from July 1
As from July 1 the new computerized smart card system has become mandatory to be used in the registration of vehicles. The fee has been set to Rs.1,300. Also, the validity of these cards has been extended to one month as per some media outlets. These are manufactured in an exclusive plant in Lahore and will be delivered right to the vehicle owner at their doorstep through Pakistan Post. Currently, there are 14,619 smart cards in the process for owners of vehicles and motorcycles in the Rawalpindi district.
Issues with Number Plates
Wait! There’s been a minor issue with the integrated computerized number plates. The manufacturing of these plates has been stopped because of several complaints that the material used to make them was of very low quality. Due to this, many vehicle owners are now getting their number plates from the open market.
New Tax Collection Goals
At the last director’s conference, the department set very strict quarterly tax collection goals for the financial year. The motor branch has a challenging target of Rs1 billion every quarter. On top of that, formal notices have been sent out for Property Tax, Luxury Tax, and Commercial Property Tax across all six districts of Rawalpindi Division.
To sweeten the deal, the department is offering a 5% discount on property tax if you pay the full amount for the first quarter (July 1 to September 30). If you pay online through their e-system, you can get a 7% discount. But keep in mind, the new property tax notices come with a 10% increase in the tax amount for everyone (as reported by various news websites).
Field Inspections
To ensure everyone is paying their fair share, the Director General of Excise has ordered inspectors and field staff to go door-to-door and visit markets for tax collection. This hands-on approach is all about improving compliance and boosting revenue.
With these new measures, the Rawalpindi Excise Department is set to provide better services and create a more efficient and transparent system for vehicle registration and tax collection.
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