Excise depatt tax recovery situation reviewed

KARACHI: Sindh Excise and Taxation department recovered taxes amounting to Rs 6507.201 million during July-December 2008 which was higher by Rs 1700.658 million as against the given target of Rs 4805.543 million. This was stated by Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation, Mukesh Kumwar Chawla while addressing a meeting of all the Regional Directors from all over Sindh and Karachi at his office here Thursday. In a briefing on the occasion Secretary E&T, Manzoor Memon informed that the department recovered Rs 808.609 million on account of vehicle tax as against the given target of Rs 993.847 million which was lower by Rs 185.238 million. He said this happened because of existing economic conditions and strict bank leasing terms as a result of which registration of vehicles registered a 33 percent decrease. The Secretary said the department collected Rs 725.178 million as against the target of Rs 802.280 million as Excise Enactment. On the other hand, the department collected Rs 4718.681 million as against the target of Rs 2762.500 million - an increase of Rs1954.181 million. Memon said that as cotton fee target of Rs 62.500 million, a collection of Rs 74.721 million was made while Rs 107.173 million were recovered as Professional Tax against the target of Rs 93.750 million. However, on account of Hotel Tax, the collection stood at Rs74.839 million as against the target of Rs 91.666 million. The Minister was informed that on account of infrastructure cess, Rs 1240.354 million are in deposit in the shape of bank guarantee as per court order and has not been included in the overall collections. On the occasion Chawla directed all the Regional Directors to further improve the collection of taxes and said that during road checking, the officials and personnel should be in uniform. He said the staff could carry out road checking only under the supervision of concerned ETO. He further directed that private vehicle should not be used during checking. He directed the Excise Police that to check drugs trafficking, the suspected vehicles should be checked at Excise Posts only and no unnecessary harassment be caused. He directed that all Regional Directors to pin point inefficient officials and staff so that disciplinary action could be taken against them.

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