20000210

Army to assist excise dept in MVT recovery

SAEED AKHTAR BALOCH

LAHORE: The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department, with the assistance of army teams, is to launch a vigorous campaign against the vehicles owners, who have not paid motor vehicle tax (MVT).

The campaign will start all over the province from February 16 to 29.

Action will also be taken against the owners displaying unauthorised and fake licence numbers as well as name plates on their vehicles, sources in the Excise and Taxation Department told Business Recorder.

They said that it was for the first time that army would assist the Excise Department in its anti-tax evasion campaign.

Special squads comprising officials of the department and the army personnel have been constituted for the purpose, sources disclosed.

However, they said that the general hold-ups, launched by the department twice a month, would also continue as per routine.

Sources said that despite the fact that the department carries out general hold-ups every month, the number of such non-tax paid vehicles still runs into thousands in the province. The department, with the help of army teams, would do its utmost to make this drive a complete success, they said.

"This drive will not only result in fetching revenue for the government, but in a way it will also serve the purpose of discouraging the public from displaying unauthorised and fake number plates on their vehicles," said a high-up of the department.