LAHORE: The Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department, Punjab has demanded confiscated and tempered vehicles from the customs office whereas the vehicles were demanded for the field visits of officials, Profit learnt here on Tuesday.
Profit further learnt that ET&NC Director General (DG), Saleha Saeed, has held meetings and correspondence with Collector Customs Lahore, after which officials agreed to handover the vehicles.
According to a letter available with this scribe the ET&NC which was written on May 28 by DG ET&NC, “It is intimated that Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control is a revenue generating Department working under Government of Punjab. For the purpose of monitoring, evaluation and inspection/audit of all taxes/levies, being administrated by the Department, the Officers/Officials of this Directorate General have to conduct field visits frequently,” letter stated.
In the letter, ET&NC requested the customs authorities to hand over some of the confiscated non-customs paid vehicles to ET&NC. However, ET&NC has demanded one Land Cruiser, five double cabin vehicles and five motor cars.
“Foregoing in view, it is requested that following confiscated/tempered vehicles may be placed at the disposal of Directorate General Excise & Taxation, Punjab, for the aforementioned purpose under policy made vide Federal Government’s circular No.10(1)AS/2004 dated 11.12.2007,” letter added.
The well-placed sources in ET&NC informed this scribe that the department was a source of revenue for the Punjab government and the recovery targets of the department were gradually increased every year. During the current financial year, the Punjab government had set a recovery target of RS 32 billion for ET&NC but despite all this, the government was not ready to give funds to the department to buy cars.
Sources added that due to lack of funds, the department was facing many other problems while the purchase of new vehicles was also an important issue as the department’s own vehicles were old, dilapidated and worn out.
However, on the other hand, Model Customs Collectorate Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi had written a letter to the DG ET&NC which states, “As discussed in the meeting Customs shall file applications for registration of the vehicles against a unique code to be issued by the Customs formation which shall be made a part of the chassis code revealed in the result of forensic test. The valuation of the vehicle shall be treated as the same which is charged as token price according to FBR’s instructions when such tempered/confiscated vehicles are provided to other government departments.”
However, it was clarified that the vehicles shall remain the property of Customs department and shall only be provided to other departments for official purposes. These vehicles will not be transferable under any circumstance.
