RAWALPINDI: Punjab Excise and Taxation Secretary Ahmad Bilal assured traders on Wednesday that the matter of professional tax in the cantonment areas will be resolved soon.

Traders from the Rawalpindi cantonment areas did not pay professional tax due to a tug of war between the Punjab excise and taxation department and the cantonment boards, with both claiming they were authorised to collect professional tax.

The traders had said both departments needed to decide who would collect the tax, after which they would be ready to pay it.

Mr Bilal visited the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) to meet with local traders and shopkeepers to solve problems related to the tax issue.He said the computerisation of Punjab`s property and land data will be completed by the end of 2017.

`The land record has been completed in most of Punjab`s districts. One can easily check and assess his property tax online through the website and helpline,` he explained.

He said a legal team is working on addressing the traders` concerns about the collection of professional tax, adding: `We understand the gravity of the issue pertainingtothejurisdictionofthe provincial government and the cantonment board.

The traders demanded an early resolution of the matter to avoid double and dual taxation.

Mr Bilal also spoke about a new vehicle registration system known as the Dealer Vehicle Registration System (DVRS), which has been introduced in various provincial districts.

`This system will help the government streamline registration and number platesof vehicles and ban forged and applied-for number plates.

`The owners of the new vehicles can now apply for registration at the point of sale as opposed to visiting the taxation department,` he explained.

`We are issuing licenses to dealers or showroom owners in this regard. We will encourage the private sector to come forward and join hands with the government,` he said.

RCCI President Raja Amer Iqbal apprised the secretary on the ongoing activities of the chamber. He called for the process of licensing for the DVRS to be expedited, and hoped the private sector would take the lucrative opportunity.

He reiterated the chamber`s demand to make property tax assessment more rational, and urged the government to address the dispute between the cantonment boards and provincial government with respect to the collection of professional tax.