Latest news with #ExciseandTaxation
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Punjab's ‘Bill Liao Inam Pao' scheme awards over Rs 3.3 cr in prize, boosts tax compliance: Cheema
Announcing 'strong performance' of Punjab's 'Bill Liao Inam Pao' scheme, Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday said since its inception, 1,76,832 bills were uploaded on 'Mera Bill' app and 5,644 winners received a total of Rs 3,35,80,215 in prize. Penalties worth Rs 9,07,06,102 were imposed on entities found guilty of irregularities in issuing bills to consumers, the minister said, adding, ' Of which Rs 7,30,92,230 has already been recovered.' In the July draw, 257 winners shared Rs 15,30,015 in prize money, he said, adding the drive also facilitated 135 new tax registrations. Launched in September 2023, the 'Bill Liao Inam Pao' (Bring Bills, Get Rewards) scheme encourages citizens to demand purchase bills and strengthen tax compliance. The minister urged residents to keep uploading bills, noting that every entry supports the state's anti-tax-evasion efforts and offers citizens a chance to win. 'Bills for petroleum products, liquor, out-of-state purchases and B2B transactions are ineligible, and only bills from the preceding month qualify for the draw,' he clarified. Under this scheme, consumers are encouraged to upload bills of their purchases on the 'mera bill app', after which they will automatically become eligible to participate in a lucky draw, which is held on the seventh of each month. The reward will be equivalent to five times the taxable value of goods or services declared in the bill, with a maximum cap of Rs 10,000 for each reward. Cheema said the department promptly transfers the prize amount to winners' bank accounts upon receipt of the necessary details, including account numbers. 'The success of this initiative stands as a testament to the power of citizen-driven governance and reflects the AAP government's resolve to build a more accountable and participatory fiscal ecosystem,' he said. 'The scheme's dual impact is not only rewarding vigilant consumers but also tightening the state's tax enforcement mechanisms,' the minister added.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
FPCCI questionsinfrastructure cess
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has demanded clarification from the Sindh government over the recent hike in the Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on imports, which has risen from 1.25% to as high as 1.85%. FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh raised the concern during a consultative session with Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla at Federation House. He said businesses are frustrated by the financial burden, legal ambiguity, and lack of visible infrastructure upgrades despite significant revenue collections. Chawla offered to reduce the IDC to 1% and keep it at that level for three years, provided businesses collectively withdraw ongoing court cases. He also agreed to consider withdrawing IDC on solar panel imports.
Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
With Rs 3,875 crore, Gurgaon leads Haryana liquor vend auctions that raked in over Rs 14,300 crore
Gurgaon district led Haryana excise department's revenue collection with Rs 3,875 crore, contributing 27 per cent to the state's total of Rs 14,342 crore in liquor vend auctions that concluded in July under the 2025-27 policy, officials said. The figure marks a proportionate rise of 13.25 per cent from the Rs 7,025 crore collected in last year's auctions. The department successfully auctioned all 1,194 retail liquor zones, issuing licenses for 2,388 vends, with each zone allowing two vends per licensee. In the 2024-25 fiscal, liquor vend licences were issued for a one-year term, unlike 22 months this time. 'The auctions concluded in July, a month earlier than last year's August timeline, due to the attractive provisions of the 2025-27 Excise Policy,' said Vinay Pratap Singh, Commissioner, Excise and Taxation. A transparent web portal facilitated high participation, he added. The other top contributors include Faridabad with Rs 1,696 crore or 12 per cent of the total revenue collected, followed by Sonipat (Rs 1,066 crore), Rewari (Rs 654 crore), Hisar (Rs 615 crore), Karnal (Rs 612 crore), and Panipat (Rs 605 crore). Yamuna Nagar's revenue rose to Rs 439.88 crore from Rs 237.81 crore last year, despite low initial participation. Significant year-on-year revenue increases were seen in Bhiwani (23.5%), Fatehabad (21%), Hisar (21%), Kurukshetra (20.5%), Karnal (19%), and Panipat (18%). The Haryana Government has set a revenue target of Rs 14,064 crore under the new excise policy. In 2024-25, the government had collected Rs 12,700 crore against a target of Rs 12,650 crore. 'Prompt and strong action by state law enforcement against criminal elements, under the directions of the Hon'ble Chief Minister, ensured faster auctions and substantially higher revenue,' the commissioner stated. He highlighted that these measures underscored the state's commitment to the safety and security of its residents, contributing to the auction's success. Earlier, the third phase of liquor vend auctions, held on May 31, was a bonanza for the Haryana government's exchequer as bids fetched Rs 1,270.40 crore, exceeding the reserve price of Rs 1,198.90 crore by 5.96 per cent. Bristol Chowk at the city's elite Golf Course Road saw the highest bids at Rs 98.6 crore by G-Town Wines against a reserve (base) price of Rs 94.6 crore. Last year, the same zone had seen the highest bid by the same winning bidder at Rs 48.28 crore against a base price of Rs 36.75 crore. The state excise department had, in that phase, completed the auctions of 50 out of 79 liquor retail zones in Gurgaon (East) under the Excise Policy 2025-27. DLF-3 zone had fetched Rs 63 crore against a reserve price of Rs 60 crore, the second highest in the district. The third highest had been for Shankar Chowk zone, which had gone at the base price of Rs 62 crore. Nawada zone saw winning bids that were 30 per cent higher than the base price, while the same for South City was 25 per cent, followed by American Express on Southern Peripheral Road (24.3% higher), Badshapur (20.9%), Sikohpur and Kankrola (20.5% each), Sohna Road (16.9%), and Banni Square (12%). The excise department allots licences through its zones in Gurgaon, and an allottee can open two vends in the zone with a cap of two to limit monopoly by big businesses. Competition from neighbouring states has increased in recent years because the policy is liberal – compared to other states – and the prices are low, driving many companies to make a foray into the business in Haryana, excise officials had earlier told The Indian Express.
Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Number plates with Ajrak design: only Excise-issued plates are valid, says minister
Sindh's Excise and Taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla has emphasised the necessity of new car and motorcycle number plates, stating that the Safe City Project could not succeed until the security-enhanced number plates issued by the government were fully implemented. Talking to Business Recorder, the minister clarified that only Excise offices could issue the new Ajrak design number plates and those issued by outside agents or shops would not be considered valid. 'So far, we have issued 2 million number plates for vehicles and bikes in Karachi,' the minister said. He explained that Sindh government had first introduced these number plates in 2011 by floating tenders, in which both local and international companies participated. However, certain political parties obtained a stay order, which remained in effect until 2013. After the 2013 elections, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) formed the government in Sindh again, and the process was resumed in 2014. However, another stay order was obtained by political parties, which continued until 2018. Chawla stated that the stay order remained in place until 2021. After that, the provincialngovernment decided not to float new tender but to continue the process on a government-to-government level. Subsequently, the contract for manufacturing the number plates was awarded to NRTC (National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation), which had already worked in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He added that the work on Safe City Project began in 2018. 'So far, 12,000 cameras under safe city project have been installed.' Chawla stressed that unless vehicles and bikes were registered and properly transferred in the name of the rightful owner, crime in the city could not be effectively controlled. Describing the features of the new number plates, he said the plates included threads in the background, 3D holograms, and barcodes. 'They are also camera-readable, even at night.' He said plates made in the open market did not possess those security features and could not be read by cameras, making them unacceptable under the new system. The minister stated that the Excise Department had launched three different colored number plates: white plates for private vehicles and bikes, yellow plates for commercial vehicles, and green plates for government vehicles. He mentioned that the fee for vehicle number plates—whether government or commercial—was set at Rs2,450, while the fee for bike plates is Rs1,850. Chawla added that the registration process was not limited to cars and bikes but those with trucks and dumpers could also apply He said the Excise Department had integrated its data with the Police and Traffic Police departments. 'Through this data linkage, authorities can determine which vehicles have paid taxes and which have not.' According to conservative estimates, around 5 million vehicles and motorcycles exist in Karachi, many of which are very old or no longer functional. With the implementation of the new system, the Excise Department believes it would have accurate data on the actual number of vehicles. Around 2 million vehicles and bikes had been registered since 2023, and number plates had been issued to their owners, he added. In the first batch, as per data provided by the minister, 800,000 plates were manufactured by NRTC, while in the second batch, 1.2 million plates were produced and delivered. Chawla also revealed that the Excise Department achieved a revenue target of 20 billion rupees in the fiscal year 2025. When asked about the third-party agents or 'agent mafia' active outside Excise offices, Chawla said strict action would be taken against them. He emphasised that the entire process was being conducted under a one-window operation and advised the public to directly approach Excise offices instead of dealing with agents. Meanwhile, a car owner Muhammad Danish told Business Recorder that he had paid an agent Rs10,000 to get his car registered, and he had received the number plate within a month. Sohail Khan, a bike owner, said he had applied for a number plate three months ago but hasn't received as yet, despite several visits to the Excise office. Another Motorcycle rider Muhammad Faiz Ahmed said he had a duplicate number plate made from the market and was managing with it. He expressed his lack of trust in the system, saying he believed deadlines would continue to be extended and things would remain the same. Earlier this week, leaders of the All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries Karachi urged the Chief Justice of Sindh to take suo motu notice of what they term a 'broad daylight robbery' of Rs8 billion, being extracted from Karachi's citizens and traders under the pretext of replacing motorcycle number plates with newly designed Ajrak-themed ones. 'The new number plate campaign has turned into an excuse for bribery and exploitation by police,' they said in a joint statement.
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Excise dept yet to prepare tax bills
Despite the start of the new financial year 2025-26, the Rawalpindi Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department has yet to prepare the commercial and residential property tax bills. The department has linked various property types to the government-assessed property prices set by the deputy commissioners in different areas. As a result, the commercial and domestic property tax rates across Rawalpindi Division and other cities in Punjab have increased by 10-25pc. Deputy commissioners of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Murree, Talagang, and Jhelum have raised the official property prices in their respective areas. However, the updated data has yet to be uploaded to the Excise Department's tax app, and the department has not received a hard copy of the data. Furthermore, the department's online system has been facing continuous technical issues. Despite the passage of the first ten days of the new financial year, no new property tax bills have been issued. The Director of Excise and Taxation, Rawalpindi, confirmed that new property tax bills will begin to be issued by the end of July. Taxpayers will receive notices to pay their property tax without any penalty by September 30. If the tax is not paid by October 1, operations will be carried out against defaulters, and properties will be sold. This year, property tax bills will also be sent via WhatsApp, and recipients will be required to confirm receipt. Even after confirmation, if the tax is not paid, the property will be seized.
