KP Excise Dept announces reforms

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Excise and Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on Wednesday announced several reforms by introducing smart cards, drive against non-customs paid vehicles, stopping civilians from using official registration number plates and ensuring safe parking of the vehicles recovered, confiscated and seized in warehouses.

The department has planned a province-wise campaign along with police against narcotics, non-custom paid vehicles and unauthorised people using vehicles with official registration number plats.

According to official sources, the newly posted Secretary Excise & Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, Riaz Khan Mahsud, initiated the reforms process.

This department remained neglected in the past, though there were many complaints against the department and people working there.

It was quite famous about the staff of this department that not only they but their distant relatives and friends also used vehicles confiscated and seized for various reasons.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has reportedly given him the task of overhauling the department.

The first step, according to sources, Riaz Mahsud took was the formation of different committees for different tasks to streamline affairs of the department.

After the provincial government withdrew notification regarding recent transfer and posting of the staff members, a committee was formed to recommend competent officers with a good reputation for key positions in the department.

A three-member committee comprising Director Revenue Salahuddin, Deputy Secretary Rehan Gul Khattak and Director Administration Mohammad Khalid would conduct a survey of Excise officers across the province ascertaining their competence, reputation, integrity, wisdom and potentials.

The committee will devise a policy framework for posing/transfer of officers on their performance leading to the boosting up of revenue collection. It will also propose officers for posting against the positions based on achievements of maximum target of revenue collection.

The committee will also need to make suggestions for performance and improvement of officers regarding revenue collection and related activities.

Another five-member committee is formed to streamline affairs of the warehouse and related functions.

The committee is tasked to ascertain the exact number of vehicles parked in the provincial warehouse.

It will need finding out a total number of vehicles allotted to the officers, officials Excise Secretariat, Directorate and other departments, officers and private persons.

The committee is also required to submit data of the employees to whom more than one vehicle has been allotted.

It is tasked to ensure possession and safe parking of the recovered, confiscated and seized vehicles.

The committee will devise a rank-wise uniform policy for allotment of vehicles to the employees of Excise Secretariat, Directorate and other departments.

It has been tasked to devise a policy for automation of the warehouse and motor vehicle seizure and confiscation system.

The committee is to ensure periodic visits of the provincial warehouse on fortnightly basis for checking the vehicles on the stock register.

It will also recommend honest and reliable employees for posting in the warehouse.

Another five-member committee is given the task to restructure and automate the mechanism of tax collection and revenue generation.

It will devise a plan for implementation of the latest technology solution for citizens’ facilitation, efficient monitoring, transparency and better resource management.

The committee is to identify the new systems required for ET&NC department and devise a plan for automation of the system.

It was tasked with developing a plan for centralization of the motor vehicle registration system and introducing a smart card system to replace copies.

Also, it will need to make a plan for automation of hotel bed tax and develop online collection system so people do not need visiting the office for tax payment.