The Excise and Taxation Department of NWFP achieved 80 percent target of the tax target of Rs 1526.780 million for the current financial year of 2007-08. The department has so far collected Rs 1164.979 million. This was told to NWFP Minister for Excise and Taxation, Liaquat Shahbab during a meeting on the recovery of the taxes in the province.
The meeting was attended by Secretary E&T Muhammad Khalid Khan Umerzai and DG E&T Syed Jamaluddin Shah besides ETOs and AETOs of the whole province. Speaking on the occasion, the provincial minister urged the officials of the department to keep in view the moral values while putting hand on the defaulters for recovery.
He assured provision of complete protection to officers in recovery of the taxes from influential and big guns in the province. He said that the government created 200 new posts in the department and has fulfilled all requirements including vehicles and weapons. He said that government now expects better performance from the officials as the economy of the province was dependent on better performance of the department.
Liaquat Shahbab said that a system of reward and punishment would be initiated in his department from the next financial year in order to encourage good workers and discourage the poor performing officers and officials. He directed all officers and officials of his department to improve their performance to ensure maximum recovery before the end of current financial year.
The minister warned the officers with bad performance, to improve their performance and increase it at least 100 percent failing which they would face accountability from July next. He regretted that the officials of Excise and Taxation remain dormant during 11 months of the year and become active only in the month of June as a result the government has to face heavy deficit every year.
He announced the cancellation of all sorts of leaves and holidays in the department till June 30 and extended working hours of the department 7am to 9pm. He made the submitting of daily progress report on each officials of the department mandatory. Referring to the favours of the present government to the department, the minister said that the target set for the department should be taken as test case for making maximum recoveries.