May 22, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1427

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PESHAWAR, May 21: The NWFP recorded a shortfall of Rs353 million in its revenue collection target for the first nine months of the current financial year, sources said.

The province was supposed to raise Rs4.47 billion and it should have collected Rs3.4 billion by the end of the period but the receipts had so far reached slightly over Rs3 billion.

The revenue collected during the nine months of current fiscal is Rs229.595 million below the figures for the corresponding period during the last fiscal year. Last year, the recovery was 80 per cent of the revenue target against 67 per cent achieved this year.

Sources said that a shortfall of Rs39.07 million was recorded in agriculture income tax. The actual amount recovered under this head was Rs13.430 million against Rs52.5 million.

Officials said that the government’s move to declare five districts calamity-hit areas after the earthquake last year had affected the revenue collection efforts.

Sources said that a proposal to extend professional tax to the Provincially-Administered Tribal Area (Pata) was being considered to enhance revenue collection. They said that the proposal would be presented to the provincial cabinet soon.

The department of irrigation was tasked to collect Rs502.5 million but it had collected only Rs272.8 million during the three quarters of the fiscal year.

The excise and taxation department was given set a recovery target of Rs888 million but it recorded a shortfall of Rs112 million by collecting Rs776 million during the same period.

The Board of Revenue exceeded its target of Rs556.5 million by Rs6.587 million, collecting Rs 563.087 million.

The Home and tribal affairs department faced a shortfall of Rs43.87 million in its collection target of Rs225.750 million. It collected only Rs181.88 million.

The works and services department, which should have collected Rs138.75 million during the July-March period, recovered Rs132.411 million, showing a shortfall of Rs6.339 million.

The provincial food department’s collection fell short by Rs52.115 million as it collected Rs39.441 million against a receipts target of Rs91.556 million.

The revenue target set for the forest department was Rs442.64 million but it collected only Rs288.562 million, registering a shortfall of Rs154.078 million.

The department of industry and minerals was given a collection target of Rs195.428 million, while it recovered Rs205.174 million, showing an additional recovery of Rs9.692 million.