LAHORE - At the assembly floor, yet another minister admitted corruption in his department, though this time saying the menace still existed but low as compared to the previous regimes. Admitting corruption in the department, Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said the menace still existed though with less intensity due to the efforts of present government. Responding to a supplementary question during Question Hour at the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, he said the menace had not been eradicated completely but the efforts of the present government had brought a considerable decrease in corruption. The opposition legislator Seemal Kamran alleged the officials were using assessment tool for fleecing money. She said people were forced to deposit assessed amount despite filing appeals. The minister said it was not necessary for the people to deposit tax money while their appeals were being heard at the competent forum. Responding to another supplementary question, he claimed the government achieved target of revenue generation through registration of vehicles during the fiscal year 2008-09. Coming hard on the minister, opposition legislator Mohsan Leghari said the question was related to 10 months but the minister was misleading the house by giving current data. He said the house should be informed about the reasons behind less recovery and persons responsible for this act. The minister said imposition of luxury tax and penalty on late registration of vehicles caused less recovery during 10 months. He said people preferred getting their vehicles registered either in Islamabad or other provinces to avoid paying luxury tax. He said the present regime imposed luxury tax with the hope that other provinces would follow but it did not happen. He said the government had withdrawn luxury tax and gave relief in penalty for late registration that helped improve revenue collection. Seemal Kamran said the revenue collection should improve with imposition of more taxes but it happened otherwise. She said the rulers should have vision and taxes should be imposed after taking into account all pros and cons. Sheikh Alla-ud-Din said the house should be informed under which law the department was charging extra amount on late registration. Mujtaba Shuja said the department was charging late fee under its discretionary powers in the Taxation Act. He said overall recession, decrease in sale of new cars and relatively strict conditions on leasing also contributed in decline in motor vehicle tax collection. To another supplementary question, he said another motor registration branch was now functional in DHA. Shiekh Alla-ud-Din said opening of more vehicle registration branches was merely wastage of public money. He said such things only happen in Pakistan and this should be stopped. The minister said new legislation was required to complete the process of registration at the time of purchase of vehicles.