Excise dept all set to rollout new tracking system

Distribution of pending number plates to begin in January

LAHORE:

The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department is all set to roll out a modern system to monitor the execution of applications for smart cards and computerized number plates.

The department has upgraded its systems which will allow improved monitoring of all applications. Due to be launched over the next few days, the new system not only simplifies the process for the citizens, but also tracks every step at the backend, including the preparation and delivery by third party contractors.

“From the time the application is submitted, all details will be displayed on the dashboard,” an insider said. The applicant, he said, will be informed as soon as the process is completed. In addition to upgrading the system, the Director General Excise has constituted a committee to investigate the technical and administrative delays in the past. The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has been directed to forward all applications to the concerned Excise Department as soon as they are received.

“Director General Excise and Taxation Punjab Saleha Saeed is personally supervising the new system, which will reduce the duration of the process. Millions of smart registration cards will be issued on time,” said an official. To launch the new system, officials from the PITB are working closely with the excise department officials. At present the department is unable to track applications.

The new system will offer a unique real-time monitoring through a dashboard. To minimize delays, the DG’s office will monitor the system and the progress reports regularly. Once the new system is implemented, each applicant will also receive updates through SMS. Applicants will also be notified when the process is completed. To address the backlog, the department is printing smart cards of all four wheelers that have been pending for some time.

“Addressing the issue of delays and resolving the crisis of computerized number plates has been the biggest achievement for the department,” said Director General Excise and Taxation Punjab Saleha Saeed. All technical issues, Saeed said, have been addressed and the distribution of 2.9 million pending number plates will begin in January. Furthermore, a new e-auction system is also in the pipeline to make the sale of certain numbers more transparent. According to the department, once the new system is implemented, the process of tax payments will also be simplified.

The system will allow citizens to make their tax payments remotely.