Punjab govt decides to tax online car dealers

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to bring the online car dealers and sellers to the tax net like other car dealers in the province.

Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht stated this while chairing a meeting along with Punjab Minister for Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal and Excise and Taxation Minister Hafiz Mumtaz and the office-bearers of Lahore Car Dealer Association here on Wednesday.

The meeting held to resolve the issues of the car dealers was also attended by the secretaries and DGs of the departments concern. The provincial finance ministers admitted the complaints of the car dealers. He said the adverse economic situation affected the government revenue stream but the situation was improving now.

The minister agreed to reduce the return filing duration for the car dealers. He said the taxation system was being completely automated. He said a mobile application was being launched soon for return filing and automation of the taxation system.

Hashim Jawan Bakht said soon the online car dealers and sellers would be brought to the tax net. He said the government system was being updated with modern technologies while the federal government introduced the e-commerce concept which was being implemented in the province too.

The minister made it clear the general sales tax on services imposed by the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) was on the dealers’ commission only. He assured of the car dears of seriously considering their demands by making the PRA’s complaint cell effective. He said it was the responsibility of the public sector to create easiness for the private sector for economic revival. He also assured that the issues of the car dealers would be taken up at the provincial and federal platforms to resolve their grievances.

Mian Aslam Iqbal said the government was doing sincere efforts to resolve the car dealers’ issues. The gathering of the all departments at a single forum is to resolve the issues, he added. He said Punjab would play a role of a bridge to resolve the car dealer’s issues concerning the federal government as well.

Meanwhile, a committee would be established in which the chief traffic officer (CTO) will be included to resolve the traffic-related issues in the City. Hafiz Mumtaz briefed the meeting that the delay in computerised number plates was due to legal issues. He said the issues of smart cards would be resolved soon.

The car dealers’ association representatives posed trust in the ministers for resolving their issues. The president of the association, Shahzada Saleem Khan, said the dealers were paying taxes under different heads and would continue to pay the taxes. However, he stressed the need for resolving the system issues and bringing the online car dealers to the tax net.