Commercial tax defaulters on excise dept radar

Officials seal 11 property units in Pindi, recover Rs3.4m

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has ordered immediate sale of residential and commercial property units of commercial tax defaulters to recover all tax dues.

According to sources, officials of the department have been instructed to recover all applicable commercial taxes including property tax, professional tax, and luxury tax. Moreover, an amendment related to the sealing of property units under the Property Sale Law has been implemented, sources said adding that as per the law, the premises will remain sealed until 100% payment of tax dues.

Following the directive, teams of the excise department have been moblised in the garrison city to knock on the doors of defaulters.

On the first day, sources said 11 property units were sealed and Rs3.4 million in revenue was also collected.

Previously, officials were only authorised to serve notices on tax defaulters and they were not allowed to sell property units. However, orders to arrest defaulters have been issued in addition to the sealing of their properties.

The excise, Taxation and Narcotic Control Director General Muhammad Ali has also ordered all excise inspectors and field employees to go out in the field for the recoveries.

The top official had also expressed his dissatisfaction over the ‘inadequate’ collection of property tax in the Rawalpindi region.

Sources further said the field staff has started making regular recoveries and a recovery of around Rs1.5 million to Rs2.5 million is being made daily.

They said the property units will be kept sealed until complete recovery to collect taxes from defaulters.

Meanwhile, citizens and traders of the garrison city have decided to move the Lahore High Court against the excise department’s decision to seal the properties of defaulters until clearance of all dues.

Anjuman-i-Tajran President Sharjeel Mir said keeping the property units sealed for an extended period is a violation of fundamental human rights and would be challenged in court in the coming week.

On the other hand, the excise department has okayed the installation of a plant in Rawalpindi for the production of smart vehicle registration cards at an estimated cost of Rs150 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2023.