KARACHI: The Sindh government is going to provide on-the-spot motor vehicle registration facility at the showrooms of company-authorised dealers in the city.

Sources at the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Department said on Friday the move will not only help car dealers sell duly registered vehicles but also generate revenue in bulk for the government.

The move will save car owners from registration hassles involving long queues at the excise and taxation counters at Civic Centre besides providing the department with much-needed revenue.

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Motor Dealers Association Chairman H M Shahzad has welcomed the move and suggested that the dealers of imported cars should also be provided with a similar on-the-spot registration facility.

Over 62,000 cars were imported last year. The number of imported cars is increasing with each passing day, he said, adding that this can be a good source of on-the-spot revenue generation for the Sindh government.

A senior official of the department said the progress on the project to provide the general public with the online registration facility has been slow due to administrative and technical problems.

Excise and Taxation Secretary Syed Mansoor Abbas Rizvi said he is busy facing court cases and will be able to answer questions after a fortnight.

He said it will take him some time to understand taxation issues because he has been transferred from the education department.

A senior official said the scheme to provide motorists with the online payment facility for road tax is also on the cards.

Under the electronic tax payment facility, motorists will pay road tax online as well as at designated branches of NBP.

The excise and taxation department is considering another proposal to charge lifetime road tax on low-powered vehicles ranging from 800cc to 1,000cc at the time of registration.

Published in Dawn October 23rd, 2016