Province-wide drive against vehicle tax defaulters starts today

The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department is starting a province-wide campaign against vehicle tax defaulters from today (Monday).

The department has constituted teams to carry out the drive. The decision was taken in a meeting which was chaired by the Minister of Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control and Parliamentary Affairs, Mukesh Kumar Chawla. The meeting was attended by Secretary Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Abdul Haleem Sheikh, Director General Excise and Taxation & Narcotics Control Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and other officers.

Siddiqui said a massive public awareness campaign had been launched through media to inform people that vehicle tax should be deposited in time.

During the campaign, he said, teams would confiscate vehicles of tax defaulters and they would only be returned after payment of motorists pay vehicle tax.

Addressing the meeting, Chawla said it is mandatory for people to get vehicles registered on their names immediately after purchase or transfer of vehicles.

If a vehicle was used in a crime, he said, the person on whose name the vehicle was registered would involved in the legal proceedings.

To make it payment of vehicle tax convenient for people, the mister said, there were 15 branches of the National Bank of Pakistan which were collecting tax. “The details of these branches are posted on the department's website and published in newspapers as well,” he added.

In a press statement meeting, Siddiqui mentioned the names of the bank branches. They are Awami Markaz, Clifton, Site Area, Nazimabad, Shahbaz Building Hyderabad, Millat Road, Korangi Industrial Area, M.A. Jinnah, Dinsu Hall, Fatima Road Jinnah Road Hyderabad, DHA, PIDC, I.I Chandigarh Road, Gulshan and High Court area.

In case of any problem, people might contact, the Karachi director at 021-99203671, the Mirpur Khas director at 0233-9290211, the Sukkur director at 071-9310202, the Karachi deputy director admin at 021-99201410, the Hyderabad director at 022-9200148, the Shaheed Benazirabad director at 0244-9370178 and the Larkana director at 074-9410751, according to the statement.

Chawla directed the relevant officials to behave politely with the motorists. However, he also ordered them to strictly implement the law.