New system : Vehicle registration becomes easier

Automobiles can now be registered at the time of purchase

LAHORE: The Excise and Taxation Department (E&TD), the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on Wednesday signed an agreement for motor vehicle registration through auto sale points.

The government has eased the motor vehicle registration process by waiving the requirement for visiting the Excise and Taxation Department office. Owners of automobiles can now get their vehicles registered at dealerships.

Excise and Taxation Director Ahmad Bilal said under the initiative, owners of new vehicles would get registrations and number plates from dealership at the time of purchase.

He said the system would enhance service delivery standards and eliminate the need to visit the department’s offices.

He said this was part of a transport facilitation programme for which the PITB had developed a database platform. He said the NBP would facilitate the transaction process. He said when purchasing a car or a motorbike, the buyer would deposit the registration fee and taxes in the E&T Department’s account and the dealer would issue him registration and number plates on the spot.

He said the new system would discourage the use of unregistered vehicles.

Initially, Bilal said, the new system would be introduced in Lahore but later would be expanded in other districts of the province. Prompt registration at the time of purchase would also discourage car theft, he added.

He said the department would train dealers in the use of software for this purpose.

He said it had been decided to upgrade the motor registration system by introducing smart cards, which would become available next year.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.