Excise-PWMC waste-tax deal collapses

Negotiations between the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (ETNCD) and the Punjab Waste Management Company (PWMC) regarding the collection of a household and commercial waste-cleaning tax have failed.

Under the proposed arrangement, households were to be charged between Rs300 and Rs1,000, while commercial shops were to be charged between Rs1,000 and Rs3,000.

The Excise Department declined to accept what it considered to be a low-profit collection fee for the service. The matter will now be taken up by the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the Excise Department has failed to meet property-tax recovery targets in the Rawalpindi Division, though the Motor Branch has performed strongly.

The Excise Office in Jhelum recorded zero recovery, prompting strict notice from the Director-General and expectations of administrative transfers.

In Rawalpindi District, operations were launched against chronic defaulters of property tax, commercial tax and professional tax, resulting in the sealing of 393 property units and the recovery of Rs7.8 million. Excise Zones I to V have accelerated recoveries from property-tax defaulters, yet cumulative receipts have not crossed 50% of the annual targets. The Rawalpindi Office currently faces a 54% shortfall in property-tax collection.

By contrast, the Motor Branch's performance remains strong: against a target of Rs2 billion for motor-vehicle registration, transfer and related taxes, the branch has already recovered Rs1.62b within the first six and a half months of the new financial year (from July 1, 2025 to date). Recoveries are expected to exceed the target by June 30.