Rush as E&T offices reopen in Pindi

Residents advised to book appointment before visiting the office

RAWALPINDI: Residents of Rawalpindi have been advised to secure an appointment before visiting the local Excise and Taxation (E&T) Office, which reopened recently after a break of two and a half months.

The offices had been shut as part of a lockdown - imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

An E&T spokesperson said that residents who want to get their vehicles registered or transferred can book an appointment through their Appointment Management System (AMS).

He added that the department launched the mobile application (App) based AMS to prevent overcrowding in the office and ensure social distancing to curb the spread of the virus.

In Sindh, traders set to resume business from beginning of Ramazan

The application (Punjab Excise Appointment app) can be downloaded for Android devices from the department's website, http://www.excise-punjab.gov.pk.

Once booked, residents can visit the designated office and meet with the assigned officer for new registrations or vehicle transfer, the official said.

Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (AETO) Sohail Shahaz said that on the directives Rawalpindi Excise and Taxation Director Chaudhary Muhammad Sohail Arshad, all the E&T officials have been directed to follow the precautionary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the provincial government against Covid-19.

To further facilitate motorists, he said that the department is now accepting vehicle token tax through the online E-Pay service of the department.

Moreover, he said that the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has decided to provide computerised number plates to motorists soon.

The department is not only addressing the issues that lead to the undue delays in the delivery of smart cards but the card manufacturing company tasked with the job is also taking steps to ensure the availability of raw materials.

Sindh govt finalises SOPs for businesses to continue operations during lockdown

Authorities have started working on installing and enhancing the capacity of its machines but the process had stalled due to the spread of Covid-19.

Sources further said that owing to the pandemic, the excise department has been facing a huge deficit in revenue collection.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.