Excise dept takes step to prevent fake transfer of vehicles

LAHORE: Punjab Excise and Taxation department has taken an initiative to prevent fake transfer of citizens’ vehicles.

According to details, vehicles’ owners will receive an SMS on any transaction or transfer. In this way, a double security system is being introduced to prevent misuse of password by excise employees so that no one can use it without authorised authority.

An SMS will be sent to the citizen’s mobile number in case of vehicle transfer or registered, token tax payment across Punjab. Excise authorities said that the owner would be informed through SMS on token tax or any other transaction. The owner will be able to immediately contact Excise department on fake transfer or unknown transaction. To prevent fake transfer, the system password of Excise authorities will not be misused. Password allottee will receive OTP number mobile number to start the system. Password cannot be used on the system without OTP registration. Every year thousands of vehicles are transferred without owners. After the introduction of biometric system there is a reduction in fake transfer. Double security on SMS service and password will completely stop fake transfer. System will be launched across Punjab within a fortnight.

It is pertinent to mention that in the past, the illegal registration of vehicles has caused loss of hundreds of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), on the direction of the Federal Tax Ombudsman, had registered cases against the Excise and Taxation Department officials, who were involved in “illegal registration” of over 6,000 non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles.

The ACE Punjab, had conducted an inquiry and found out that serious irregularities were committed by the excise officials in the registration of vehicles.