ISLAMABAD: Biometric verification will be made mandatory for transferring vehicles in the capital by March in order to avoid fraud and the use of vehicles on open letter.

Excise and Taxation Office (ETO) Director Bilal Azam told Dawn that owners using vehicles on open letters have been asked to have them transferred by Feb 28, after which such vehicles will only be transferred after biometric verification of the owner.

“After the introduction of the policy on March 1, the transfer of vehicles will only be possible after biometric verification,” he said, adding that people do not have to come to ETO for biometric verification and can visit any National Database and Registration Authority office to have their biometrics verified and produce the receipt issued to ETO.

ETO will verify the receipt with the transaction ID in no time and transfer the vehicle, he said.

He added that over one million vehicles are registered with the capital’s ETO and that his office registers 400 to 500 vehicles a day.

The capital’s ETO has also decided to only register the vehicles of residents of Islamabad.

The registration process will be made online, Mr Azam said.

Though there is a bar on the registration of vehicles belonging to people who do not reside in the capital at the local ETO, the office accepts such applications with affidavits, Mr Azam explained.

He said a notification has been issued that the capital’s ETO will now only register vehicles belonging to those who have an Islamabad address on their CNIC, are working and have offices in the capital.

ETO has introduced an online registration system and residents can now apply from home.

“However, they have to bring their documents and vehicle for inspection to ETO, get a fee voucher and submit it in a bank,” he said.

An online tax and token system will also be introduced, Mr Azam said, so that vehicle owners can pay their token tax in the bank or via mobile banking.

Currently, token tax is being paid at ETO or the post office.

A radio frequency identification tag will be introduced for the capital through which token tax defaulters’ vehicles will be identified on the spot by Safe City cameras. Mr Azam said the tags will be issued when motorists come to ETO to pay their token tax, transfer their cars or apply for registration.

A standard operating procedure has been prepared for this and the approval of the concerned authority is awaited, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2019