The Punjab Excise & Taxation Department has launched an extensive crackdown on property tax defaulters and officials failing to meet revenue collection targets. Director General Excise & Taxation Umar Sher Chatha announced that both tax evaders and underperforming officers would be held accountable as part of the department’s efforts to improve tax collection.
As per reports, a performance review is currently underway, with lists being compiled of officers who have failed to meet recovery targets. Those falling short will first receive show-cause notices, followed by salary deductions if no improvement is made. Officers who continue to underperform by the end of the year will be removed from their positions.
To achieve the Rs28 billion revenue target, the department has intensified enforcement actions, with the ETO Operations overseeing the recovery process to ensure efficiency and transparency. Over the past 12 days, 12,000 properties in Lahore, with outstanding dues of Rs860 million, have been sealed. Across Punjab, 38,000 properties with unpaid taxes amounting to Rs1.5 billion have faced similar action.
Tax recovery efforts have also led to the swift de-sealing of properties upon payment. In Lahore, 3,600 properties have been restored after clearing Rs110 million in dues, while across Punjab, 11,000 properties have been reopened following recoveries totaling Rs830 million.
Chatha issued a strict directive warning that no officer is authorized to illegally de-seal any property without full tax payment, reinforcing the department’s commitment to ensuring compliance and meeting collection targets.
