LAHORE: The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has sealed 78 properties in different areas of Lahore and Kasur. The department has also issued notices to defaulters to pay their property tax with fine.
An Excise official told Customs Today that special teams of the property tax cell have started crackdown against property tax defaulters in Punjab.
On the special directions of DG Akrram Ashraf Gondal, the excise directors of all regions have formed special teams to check the property tax defaulters. The teams sealed the properties in different areas of the region including, Bahria Town, Faisal Town, Ferozepur Road and Raiwind Road. On the other hand, many shops, workshops factories and warehouses were also sealed in Kasur, Khudian and Chunian.
The sealed property owners failed to submit property tax even after receiving many notices. Now excise department decided to take strict action against these property tax defaulters besides imposing fine on them.
Meanwhile, in the budget for the fiscal year of 2016-17 the Punjab government has imposed tax on plots as well. Earlier property tax was only applicable on properties that were covered and constructed including homes, factories, shops, plazas, workshops and warehouses.
The Punjab government has also decided to assign Rs 27.5 billion revenue targets to Excise and Taxation Department for the fiscal year 2016-17.
According to the details, budget presented by the finance minister of Punjab for coming fiscal year, revenue targets will be 10 percent more than the ongoing fiscal year 2015-16. The department will have to collector tax under the head of property tax, token tax, vehicles registration tax, excise duty and professional tax from the province.
Meanwhile, the Excise Secretary praised the performance of the department for the record recovery in the fiscal year 2015-16.
It is pertinent to mention here that Director General Akram Ashraf Gondal has also warned the directors and ETOs of strict action if they remained fail to achieve the set revenue targets. Excise and Taxation collected Rs 20.5 billion against Rs 21 billion during fiscal year 2014-15.
