LAHORE   -  Punjab Minister for Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad has said that no new tax has been imposed since the Covid-19 hit the country. He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday. LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah presented the address of welcome while Senior Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan also spoke on the occasion. The minister said that the facility of 5 per cent relaxation on online payments, that was introduced last year, would be continued. He said that all relief packages would be continued in the larger interest of trade and industry. He said that automation is good according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that the government is doing well in the difficult circumstances adding that the taxpayers have been provided facilities. Mian Tariq Misbah said that LCCI has always advocated for bringing improvement in the taxation system and making it more efficient and business friendly, particularly through automation. He said it is good to see that the Excise and Taxation Department has brought considerable automation in the services and now a proper mechanism has been devised for the online payment of relevant taxes. He expected that the drive of digitisation will continue and will further improve the efficiency of government departments and overall business climate in the province. He mentioned that sometimes tax notices are served for recovery of taxes which were due many years ago. This practice is against the spirit of a conducive business environment and should be stopped. He said that there should be immediate intimation to the taxpayers in case any tax liability is due rather than keeping the case pending for years. He said that Motor Vehicle Taxes are considerably higher in Punjab as compared to other provinces. As a result, many residents of Punjab are getting their vehicles registered from Islamabad, resulting in a sizable loss of revenue for the provincial government. This matter needs attention and should be resolved.

  He said it has been heard that the government has proposed to increase the fee of obtaining Fitness Certificate for Commercial Vehicles as per the agreement with the concerned company. He said that this increase should be delayed till economy recovers fully from the adverse impact of Covid-19.

Nasir Hameed Khan said that people are not getting number plates despite making payments. He said that the issue of late issuance of smart cards for vehicle registrations should also be resolved.