ISLAMABAD: The Excise and Taxation Department (ETO) Islamabad on Tuesday launched an online system for the payment of token tax.

Director Excise and Taxation Bilal Azam told Dawn that the online payment service had been launched to facilitate vehicle owners. They can now pay the tax from anywhere by using the City Islamabad App.

Besides, the owners can also pay the tax from any bank anywhere in Pakistan or through the one-link ATM system.

The owners would have to get themselves registered in the app to pay the tax, the official said, adding the service was available round the clock.

By late evening after the launch, over 250 owners had used the app to pay the token tax. There are 1.1 million vehicles registered with the ETO Islamabad, he added.

Mr Bilal said the user would have to log into the app and generate a payment system identification (PSID). Note down the PSID required to pay the online tax using alternate delivery channels such as ATM/internet banking/mobile banking) and over the counter bank branches.

Pay via ATM: Vehicle owners can visit their nearest ATM and after the pin verification, select the option of 1BILL (invoice and voucher payment) in menu. Enter PSID and press OK and due amount against the PSID number will be automatically fetched and displayed on the screen.

Press pay/submit amount/finish button and message of successful transaction will appear on the screen, he said, adding the bank will also update the customer regarding the payment through SMS/email.

Pay via internet and mobile banking: Log into internet/mobile banking app, select the option 1BILL, enter the PSID and press OK. When the due amount fetched and displayed on the screen, press pay/submit amount/finish button.

Pay via bank branches/branchless players: Visit the nearest 1BILL enabled bank branches/branchless agent along with PSID and ask the bank representative to make the payment through 1BILL, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2020