PESHAWAR, Dec 15: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will spend Rs500 million to raise anti-narcotics force in accordance with the 18th Amendment that also requires it to have its own narcotics interdiction law, according to official sources.

The work to formulate the provincial anti-narcotics law is already in progress whereas the homework for setting up the force has also been undertaken, says an official concerned. “The progress has been quite slow because of the legalities involved,” he said.

The 18th Amendment, adopted in April 2010, has devolved several departments and functions from the federal government to the provinces. The devolution of anti-narcotics apparatus from the centre to the provinces has also become a legal necessity, which remains unfulfilled.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to officials, has undertaken an exercise to put in place a legal mechanism before taking over the responsibility to control the illegal use and business of narcotics. The provincial efforts are aligned with the process carried forward by the federal authorities concerned.

Once the proposed law is ready, it would be enacted through legislation by the provincial assembly.

With the formulation of the provincial anti-narcotics law, the province would also require to have a strong anti-narcotics force of its own. This would need a substantial capital investment and human resource mobilisation.

“The authorities concerned have estimated that the province needs Rs500 million to raise a strong anti-narcotics force whereas technical assistance and training of the staff would also take some money to begin with the new force,” said an official.

The formulation of the narcotics interdiction law and establishment of the anti-narcotics force, which is a legal necessity in line with the constitutional provisions, has also been made part of the provincial government’s reform programme undertaken to improve efficiency of departments.

However, work on preparing the law and raising the anti-narcotics force, according to an official, has been going on before Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its allies came in to power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back in May this year.

Similarly, there are a couple of other initiatives reflected in the reform programme that were already being pursued before the new provincial government came in.

One such initiative is establishment of tax facilitation centres at regional level. The provincial development working party, the highest development decision making forum in the province, has already approved establishment of four tax facilitation centres in different parts of the province. These centres would be set up on the pattern of Peshawar’s TFC, set up over decade ago.

The excise and taxation department, said an official, had estimated that a total investment of Rs600 million would be required for setting up four TFCs, including money required to procure office equipment and hire computer literate staff.

Similarly, the recommended reforms also include bringing about improvements under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965, Motor Vehicle Taxation Act 1958, and Urban Immovable Property Tax Act 1958.

The PTI-led provincial government set up some 17 working groups in as many departments to look into their systems and recommend reforms where needed.

The working group on excise and taxation, according to an official, has recommended to review the existing motor vehicle and immovable property laws and update them, plucking leakages in the taxation system to improve provincial receipts.

Besides, the government has also been proposed to strengthen the recently set up Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA), ensuring timely recruitment of senior management and support staff for conducting its business.

KPRA, a requirement under the 18th Amendment, started formal functions in August this year though work on its establishment had been started in the days of the last provincial caretaker government.

The provincial government, said an official, still had an amount of Rs94 million out of the grant money provided by a foreign donor agency for establishment the authority. The left over funds, according to the official, would be utilised to develop KPRA’s infrastructure, including automation.

At present, the authority is functioning under the ambit of the Directorate of Excise and Taxation. As per its law, it has to function independently as an arm of the excise and taxation department.

Meanwhile, the excise and taxation department also plans to set up a special unit to oversee implementation of the reform programme. The reforms coordination cell, to be set up shortly, would work under the supervision of a deputy secretary and would consist of an assistant and a junior clerk.