FAISALABAD: Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah launched the Restaurants Invoice Monitoring System (RIMS) in the city on Sunday. The system has been launched with the help of Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).

As many as 42 restaurants in the district are paying Sales Tax under RIMS since last month.

On the occasion, the 9th, 10th and 11th computerised balloting for Amanat Scheme under RIMS was also conducted and names of the winners (invoice holding customers) were announced. Addressing the gathering, the law minister termed RIMS a milestone in the revenue automation initiative which was generating more revenue, besides discouraging tax pilferage.

He said Amanat Scheme was raising awareness about tax payment by offering incentives to tax payers.

The minister said the scheme that got a great response in Lahore and was being introduced in Faisalabad, would be expanded across the province.

He hoped ST collection would be raised from Rs5.21 billion to Rs9.38 billion with the help of RIMS.

Earlier, PRA Chairman Dr Raheel Siddiqui said the authority was actively working on enhancing RIMS outreach to other cities of Punjab. He said balloting of the invoices was being carried out on monthly basis and the winners had been given cars, motorbikes and Umrah tickets and other prizes.

He said 24 cars, 40 Umrah tickets, 40 motorbikes, 80 LEDs, as many cell phones and more than 250 other prizes had been given in the last eight draws through transparent balloting.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017