Excise dept launches mobile phone app for appointments

A complainant will be able to select day and time of his choice to visit excise office

LAHORE: The Department of Excise and Taxation Punjab has launched the country’s first official “Theh Shuda Mulaqat” mobile phone application and website software to save people from the hassle of waiting in public offices. The app is named as Appointment Management System (AMS).

This app was developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) with the financial support of a German institute. Through this application, the complainant will be able to select the day and time of his choice to visit the excise office.

Initially, three counters have been allocated for “Theh Shuda Mulaqat” in each centre of the excise service centres set up in five cities including Lahore.



However, this facility will also be provided in other excise offices in Punjab under a phase-wise programme.

Besides, after the completion of the period of the project of excise service centres in Punjab, there has been a crisis of expansion of the period and the provision of funds for these centres.

The salaries of service centre employees and the rent of the buildings have not been paid for the past three months. However, out of 238 employees deployed in nine centres, the contracts of 108 employees have been terminated and dismissed them from their service due to financial and administrative reasons.

The excise department has sent the summary to the government for extension of the project’s period and to receive financial funds. However, no progress has been made on it yet.

The Excise Department of Punjab has developed a mobile phone application and website software for the first time at the government level in Pakistan with the financial support of GIZ, a German government agency.

Initially, the service will be provided in nine excise service centres located in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, but soon it will be expanded to the offices across Punjab.

Out of 10 computer counters in each service centre, three have been allocated for a “Theh Shuda Mulaqat”.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Minister for Excise and Taxation Punjab Hafiz Mumtaz Ahmad said no government department has provided this kind of facility across the country so far. The excise department has become the country’s first state-owned organisation which is providing this facility.

Citizens will open a “services by appointment” link on their mobile phone application or on the website of the excise department and choose what services the needed. Then they can also choose which office to visit after selecting the day and time.



A half-hour slab is currently set for the scheduled appointment, when the crowd increases, it will change. Sources have also revealed that the excise service centres have been set up under a project and now three months have passed since the completion of the time/ period of this project.

The excise department has also sent a summary for the extension to the government but there has been no progress.

On the other hand, the employees deployed on a contractual basis, have not been paid salaries for the last three months while the rent of the buildings is also due for three months. In the service centres, 238 employees were recruited on contract, out of which 108 have been dismissed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2019.