Website closure costs Rs60m to excise dept

ISLAMABAD:

The Rawalpindi branch of the Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Department has incurred a substantial loss of Rs60 million over the past week due to the suspension of its services.

According to sources, the website responsible for handling professional taxes, wealth tax, property tax payments, and vehicle registration and transfer services reportedly needed an overhaul, due to which it was closed.

During the period from September 4 to September 9, customers were unable to pay the registration fees for their vehicles, and property tax payments were also on hold. As a result, the staff and officers at the excise department had no work to carry out throughout the week.

However, the department's website is scheduled to reopen on Monday, following an upgrade. The processes for vehicle and bike registration and transfer, as well as property tax payments, will resume from that date.

According to sources within the excise department, a system check for the upgraded system is planned for Sunday (today), and the entire system is expected to be operational by Sunday evening. The new system boasts enhanced capacity and is anticipated to be 100 per cent more accurate and faster than the previous one.

Additionally, the computerised smart registration cards system and computerised number plate system of the excise department have experienced complete failure.

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