Biometric verification for vehicle transactions coming in two months

LAHORE: A biometric verification system will be activated for new registration and transfer of ownership of vehicles in the province within two months, Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmed said at a press conference on Monday.

He explained that the new system aims to fight corruption, forgery, and to make computerised number plates the norm. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is expected to approve the new system in few days, Ahmed said while adding that the CM has already agreed to provide funds for the repair of excise offices and provision of transport for the department.

He said no unqualified people should occupy government offices, Ahmed said while adding that acting Excise Director General Chaudhry Masoodulhaq, Director Rizwan Sherwani, and other officers had been working with him to facilitate the public and increase government revenue.

An online payment facility for submitting taxes with NBP has been set up, while the issuance of smart card registration has been initiated so that people can put their car registration in their wallet or pocket instead of having to carry the whole book.

He said that the previous government made a bad decision by imposing a luxury taxes of Rs150,000 to Rs400,000 on luxury cars, due to which people were registering their cars in Islamabad and the Punjab government was suffering losses. He said this is why PTI has reduced the yearly registration fees for big cars from Rs13,000 to Rs3,000.

Ahmed said a fast track service has been provided so that people can save time getting their work done. “We are aware of the difficulties people face while getting computerised number plates, so we are making a new system to resolve the problem,” he said while blaming the situation on the previous government.

We will give licenses to companies for preparing computerised number plates and the supply issues will be solved soon. He said the department was in touch with the CM’s office on the issue of new appointees in service centres and that CM has approved the request.

In reply to a question, he said that there is no official status for the chairman of the facilitation committee at the excise department, nor can that person interfere in administrative affairs or use official, adding that he will explain to facilitation committee chairman Usman Hamza that his role is to provide relief to the public and not to interfere in administrative affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2019.