The AJK Central Excise & Sales Tax (CEST) has successfully achieved Rs 903.388 million target of realisation of taxes with an additional increase of Rs 244.388 million fixed for the last financial year of 2004-05. The target was achieved through collection of levies in different forms during said period, official sources said.
Disclosing this, Azad Jammu & Kashmir Collector Central Excise and Sales Tax Muhammad Asif Abbasi told APP here on Wednesday. He added the Central E & ST department collected revenue of Rs 903.388 million against the given target of Rs 659 million. Hence, a record increases of Rs 244.388 million first ever in the history of department for realization of taxes related to central excise and sales tax during last year. This target, he said was successfully achieved. This is 37 per cent increase in the stipulated target, he added.
The Collector continued that the achieved target of taxes during last fiscal year of 2004-05 was realised particularly in form of taxes. Those included sales tax, central excise duty, excise duty on telephone, professional tax, education cess, excise duty on medicines, computerisation of vehicles, motor tax and registration of vehicles, road toll, entertainment tax, cigarette vend fee, real estate agents & property dealers fee.
Asif Abbasi said during the year 2004-05, the verdicts on various under trial cases related to central excise and sales taxes in Azad Jammu Kashmir Supreme Court filed by certain business concerns reached in favour of the department.
Referring to the targets for new financial year of 2005-06, the Collector said he was fully confident to achieve existing financial year targets through professional skills by the department despite relief granted by the government in sales tax on various items during current financial year.
To a question, Asif Abbasi categorically declared that recent effective steps taken by the AJK Council to make department an exemplary institution, free of corrupt elements since last one year have borne fruitful results and the drive in that direction was proceeding ahead successfully. He added that campaign to make the institution more effective in respect of realisation of all due taxes, would continue without taking notice of baseless propaganda through a section of press by certain vested interests.
Referring to the achievements of last fiscal year's target of Income Tax, the Collector Central Excise and Sales Tax said Income Tax Department was lucky enough to have a seasoned senior officer Sardar Irshad Shaheen from CBR as the Commissioner Income Tax in AJK. He not only got survived the ruined structure of Income Tax target in AJK but successfully achieved the target within stipulated time frame.
To another question, the Collector said extensive drive was continuing to make the Central Excise and Sales tax absolutely corruption-free institution. He pointed out disciplinary action was initiated against various officials for negligence from duties and some of them have so far faced major penalty under special powers act.
Responding to another question, Asif Abbasi said small businessmen including shopkeepers managed to pay taxes regularly. But on the other hand certain major businessmen, especially owners of prime industrial units, used to escape form performing this national obligation on one pretext or the other.
He requested business community, especially those try to escape from paying taxes, to manage for depositing tax amounts in time and regularly considering it their due national responsibility.
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