KARACHI: The first auction of premium number plates by the Sindh Excise Department in a specious hall of a hotel here on Saturday night pulled in some of the richest car enthusiasts of the country. It all brought in lots of money, which will be used by the Sindh government for a noble cause.

The auction included 40 number plates, which earned the provincial government a total of Rs675.4 million.

The premium number plates are registered against their owner’s computerised national identity card and serve as a cover licence plate for a vehicle. The vehicle also has its own normal Sindh number plate, which it will carry if sold off. The premium plate won’t be part of that deal.

The auction had three categories, for the platinum category the bidding began at Rs2m, for the gold category it began at Rs10m and for the silver it began at Rs500,000. To register for bidding in the auction, one also had to pay Rs10,000, which was non-refundable.

Number ‘1’ fetches highest amount of Rs100m, followed by Rs53m for number ‘5’

The very first three plates bearing the numbers ‘1’, ‘786’ and ‘7’ carried deep spiritual meaning for their bidders. For the number 1, they said that it represented the belief that God is one. For the second they said that everything begins with ‘Bismillah’ for a Muslim, and for the third it was said that the number represents so many things of significance that amount to seven in number.

Therefore, all three fetched good money. Number ‘1’ fetched Rs100m, ‘786’ fetched Rs26.5m and ‘7’ fetched Rs46m.

Similarly, number ‘5’ fetched Rs53m, number ‘8’ fetched Rs41m and number ‘9’ earned Rs40m.

The money collected from the auction will be utilised by the Sindh government to build new houses for all the displaced families who lost a roof over their heads in the 2022 floods.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, whose idea this auction was, said that it was never his intention to start some elite campaign for the rich.

“The proceeds collected through this auction will be used for a very good and noble cause of building housing for the poor people displaced by the 2022 floods in Sindh,” he said.

Mr Memon, who holds the portfolios of excise and taxation, information and transport, said that the second phase of the auction of premium number plates will be launched very soon and it is expected that the upcoming auction would generate additional resources to further support the ongoing reconstruction efforts.

He informed the audience that a total of 2,251 houses will be constructed for the flood victims with the funds. “The Sindh government is continuously striving to help those affected by the floods and rebuild their lives,” he said.

He mentioned that the government’s comprehensive approach includes not only the construction of new houses but also the maintenance of necessary infrastructure, provision of medical assistance, and support for economic recovery.

Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and former minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Chawla were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2024