NAB Lahore has taken action on the reports of extraordinary delay in issuance of number plates and smart cards of vehicles by the Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on Friday.
According to the spokesperson, the Secretary Excise gave a comprehensive briefing to the NAB A&P Wing on the steps taken for the issuance of number plates and smart cards.
The excise secretary said that due to technical and legal reasons, the people are still facing difficulties in issuing number plates and smart cards. The excise department is currently facing backlog of more than 1.537 million number plates. Under the Government to government (G2G) agreement, an agreement is being reached to manufacture number plates at a lower price than National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC). A summary has been sent to the Chief Minister’s Office from National Radio and Telecommunication for approval of the agreement. After the approval of the contract in May this year, a notification has also been issued in Punjab Gazette.
According to NAB Lahore, despite seeking clarification in the rules regarding single bidding from PAPRA, the Excise Department canceled the bidding of Messrs. Inbox. Ask for full details. Details of security features and issuance of smart cards and details of correspondence with the Department of Transport and the usual procedure for issuance of vehicle fitness certificates have also been sought.
The NAB has also asked what were the reasons behind the refusal of 3 out of 4 companies to participate in the bidding in the past, despite the approval of the court and PAPRA, the reasons for deviating from the bidding of Messrs. Inbox. It has been directed to provide full details of the recent agreement reached with NRTC.
NAB Lahore A&P Wing directed to Excise Department to submit report on monthly basis. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has said that it will not shy away from taking all possible steps to provide facilities to the people.
