LAHORE: In collaboration with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department is developing a state-of-the-art dashboard to enhance transparency and efficiency in revenue monitoring; this dashboard will provide comprehensive details of federal and provincial revenues collected under the department, along with detailed statistics on motor vehicles across Punjab.
According to the department, categorised revenue data based on vehicle types will also be a key dashboard feature. Additionally, the system will reflect the impact of reforms introduced in the tax system, offering actionable insights for further improvements. The initiative aims to assess the new system’s effectiveness by comparing data from old and new registrations. It will serve as a guide for introducing additional reforms in the taxation process.
In this connection, Excise and Taxation Punjab Director General Umar Sher Chattha chaired a meeting to review the proposed dashboard. Excise and Taxation IT Director Muhammad Saleem, Enforcement and Audit Director Qamar-ul-Hassan and the PITB Managing Director attended the meeting. On this occasion, the PITB team provided a detailed briefing on the proposed dashboard and shared recommendations to ensure its alignment with the department’s operational needs.
He instructed the IT team to include property tax data alongside token tax and vehicle registration fees within the dashboard. He further emphasised the importance of presenting federal and provincial collections separately to simplify comparative analysis.
The Enforcement Director proposed showcasing field operation revenues on the dashboard to make it an effective tool for operational monitoring. The meeting also reviewed the ongoing field operations for vehicle registration and token tax collection. Under the guidance of Secretary Masood Mukhtar and DG Umar Sher Chattha, operations have been underway across Punjab since January 1, targeting key regions including Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, DG Khan, Gujrat and Region D. These efforts have resulted in the recovery of millions in token taxes.
The meeting was told that strict action has been taken against unregistered vehicles, with thousands of fake number plates confiscated. In a recent operation at over 35 checkpoints, 10,355 vehicles were inspected. Of these, 310 were unregistered, 548 were using fake number plates, and 1,027 were token tax defaulters, resulting in an on-the-spot recovery of Rs12.5 million.
Umar Sher Chattha appealed to citizens to fulfil their legal obligations by paying taxes and avoiding the use of fake number plates. He clarified that these operations are not intended to inconvenience vehicle owners but to promote compliance and accountability. In the next phase, stricter measures will be implemented, including impounding unregistered vehicles and increasing penalties for delayed token tax payments, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025