As the financial year 2010-11 is ending, the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has sealed 15 buildings owned by big property tax defaulters to recover around Rs 20.2 million as outstanding dues, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Buildings owned by Aiwan-e-Mashriq and Bank of Commerce are among the properties sealed due to non-payment of dues. The action has been taken under Section 16 of the Punjab Urban Immovable Property Tax 1958. These properties will be auctioned after taking formal permission from the senior member of the Board of Revenue under the Land Revenue Act 1967. According to a senior official in the excise and taxation department, the department has set a target to recover around Rs 500 million until June 30.”Out of these funds, 65 to 70 percent have been recovered successfully,” he added. Excise and Taxation Department Region (A) Director Ashiq Hussain Shah told Pakistan Today that an aggressive drive was underway to collect dues without any discrimination. Recovering property tax from top defaulters was the main priority and in this regard 15 defaulters’ buildings had been sealed, he added. Regarding big tax evaders, Ashiq said that owners of Aiwan-e-Mashriq have defaulted on Rs 10.69 million for a long time now. “The case is under trial and the decision will go in favour of the department at the next hearing on May 5,” he hoped.
The director said that the department will spare no effort to achieve the target and officials, who will miss the target and remain underperformed, will have to face stern action. According to data available with Pakistan Today, Aiwan-e-Mashriq on Abbot Road defaulted on Rs 10.6 million and Bank of Commerce defaulted on Rs 0.6 million. Around Rs 0.8 million is in outstanding dues against a building on Turner Road owned by Muzaffar Ali, Rs 0.7 million on Fane Road owned by Zaheer Ahmed Mir, Rs 0.5 million against a building on McLeod Road owned by Akram, Rs 0.3 million against a building on Link Fareed Court Road owned by Rashida Begum, Rs 0.3 million against a building on Saeed Moj Darya Road owned by Neelam Mansoor, Rs 0.2 million against a building at Hall Road Chowk owned by Shaheena Zaki, Rs 0.32 million against a building at Mozang Road owned by Zarina Faqir, Rs 0.81 million against a building on Turner Road owned by Qamar Jahan, Rs 0.166 million against a building on Nishtar Road owned by Tanveer Mehmood, Rs 0.57 million against a building at Chowk Dalgiran owned by Sardar Begum, Rs 0.52 million against a building on Davis Road owned by Jalil Afridi and Rs 98,450 against a building on Abbot Road owned by Aslam Amin.
Another senior official said that around 50,000 units of five marlas in Region A have defaulted on Rs 60.5 million, as they did not pay property tax from 2001 to 2004, the period when property tax had not been waived off. After 2004, they were exempted from property tax but before 2004, taxes have yet to be paid, he added. The official said that the department had launched a crackdown on big defaulters of property and motor tax and in addition to departmental action, tax recovery will be ensured by auctioning property. He said that recovery of arrears would be expedited and tax collection increased at least by 20 percent compared to last year. Officials showing better performance would be rewarded and four excise police stations would also be set up in the next fiscal year to improve tax recovery and take action against tax evaders. Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said that the entire data will be computerised and online system improved while monitoring all offices of the department on a daily basis. He said that low-income segments should not be harassed in connection with tax recovery and the department would utilise all its energies against big tax defaulters.