Sindh Excise and Taxation department on Monday claimed to have collected Rs 22.517 billion up to October 2019.

According to details, Director General E&T Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui during a meeting informed that the department has collected Rs 22.517 billion till October, 2019 and the annual target was Rs 84.700 billion for the current fiscal year.

He said the mostly challans of property tax and professional tax were not served to taxpayers, however the officers concerned were directed to speed up the process of serving challans to the taxpayers.

Meanwhile, provincial minister excise and taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla directed the department to meet the shortage of the staff and ensure smooth connectivity of internet service in order to get desired results.

Furthermore, he said that in order to make a comprehensive plan to recover arrears, unpaid by autonomous bodies/corporations, this issue must be pursued vigorously and added that efforts should be taken to improve the recovery of professional tax in the coming months. Action will be taken against officers who failed to recover the government dues, he maintained.