CM Mahmood okays merger of excise, revenue depts

Move aimed at strengthening excise dept, improving its performance

PESHAWAR: In a bid to boost revenues, the provincial government has agreed in principle to merge the excise and taxation department with the provincial revenue authority apart from strengthening the department.

This was decided by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan while presiding over a meeting in Peshawar on Sunday.

To enhance the performance of the department and to generate more revenues, he principally agreed to merge it with the K-P Revenue Authority.

During the meeting, Mahmood was briefed about the performance of the Excise and Taxation Department, especially tax recovery, licence fees, new laws, punishment, and responsibilities of the Excise Department after the 18th Amendment.

The meeting was also told that the anti-narcotics department will be looked after by the excise department.

Moreover, the excise department was planning on introducing a smart card system which will replace the old registration book system for vehicles registered in the province to not only make the entire process computerized but to make the information and records easier to access.

Mahmood emphasised handing out strict punishments under the Narcotics Control Act to those involved in dealing with crystal methamphetamine – also known as ice, and other narcotics.

He said the provincial government is taking solid steps to improve the performance of government departments in the province.

Economic zones for tribal areas

Earlier on Saturday, Mahmood revealed the establishment of economic Zones in the erstwhile federally administered and provincially administered tribal areas of the province (Fata and Pata).

Moreover, he said that the government was working on opening road communication links with Afghanistan and onwards to Central Asia to turn the region into an economic hub in the wake of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister House in Peshawar on Saturday, Mahmood directed to immediately give final touches to the concessional agreement leading to the finalisation of the financial model for the Rashakai Economic Zone.

The meeting focused on mega projects in the project including the finalization of a concessional agreement, the financial model and the infrastructure development of the Rashakai Industrial Zone, the energization of CRBC for power production and enhancing agriculture productivity,  hydel power generation in Malakand and Hazara Division and the provision of electricity to boost industrialization in these areas, producing electric power through gas in Rashakai, Khitar and Dera Ismail Khan Economic Zones, boosting trout fish production, establishing a model village in FataFATA, resolving issues at Torkham and Ghulam Khan crossings.

Mahmood demanded to know the prerequisites for the Rashakai Economic Zone and said that efforts should be made to secure the approval of the federal government by mid-January 2019.

The K-P chief minister further ordered to sketch a plan for the provision of locally produced electricity in Malakand Division for food processing and agro-based industrialization and tourism-related activities. We will train our youth to cope with the growing challenges of producing skilled manpower, he added.

The K-P chief minister said that the newly merged districts of the erstwhile Fata would get one of the economic zones under the CPEC formula and therefore public institutions should take all necessary measures to mature it.

He also directed to identify a village to be developed as a model village of the merged districts.

Mahmood said that peace is the basic prerequisite for economic growth. Once peace is returned to the region, the region would have bright prospects for growth.

Moreover, the government will provide one-window operations and asked the information and science and technology departments to prepare an integrated dashboard to make preparations in this regard os that investment, trade and industrialization can be facilitated in the province.

Separately, Mahmood constituted a high-level multi-departmental committee for “ease of doing business” in K-P. The chief minister will be the committee’s patron while the committee will be headed by the Special Advisor to the Chief Minister for Science and technology and information technology Kamran Khan Bangash. Other members would include the special assistant to CM and industries secretary.

The notification said that planning and development secretary, K-P board of information technology head, finance and excise and taxation secretaries will also be a part of the committee.

The committee has been tasked with firming up recommendations from other departments and stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive plan for the way forward.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2018.