ePay Punjab known as the first-ever government payment aggregator for citizens facilitation and ease of business has collected over Rs1 billion in tax revenues from multiple taxes across Punjab since its commence.
The revenue figures were revealed during a progress review meeting of the Punjab Information Technology Board. PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor, Director General IT Operations Faisal Yousaf and other senior officials of board participated in the meeting.
ePay Punjab was started operational on 4th of October last year as a joint effort between the Punjab Finance Department and PITB. The system gives general public a stress free and efficient method of paying all taxes and payments to the government through contemporary banking channels without going through the existing cumbersome process.
The meeting was informed that various new payment channels like debit/credit card, mobile wallets, TELCO agent networks and direct debit from account are being added to further boost the payment options available for the citizens and businesses.
Moreover, it has also been planned to include Government to Public (G2P) and Government to Business (G2B) payment models in future to broaden the horizon of the program and also add Tax or Non-Tax receipts like online admission for colleges/schools fee, driving license fee, e-challan, character certificate, domicile, fitness certificate (commercial vehicles) and Agriculture Income Tax.
The initiative has proved to be a game-changer in the local FinTech industry by playing a essential role in increasing tax revenue collection of the province and improving financial inclusion.
13 taxes/levies of five departments are made part of the system in its first phase.
The Excise & Taxation Punjab, the Board of Revenue (BOR), the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), Industries and Transport are the departments liaised with the system, where citizens can pay token tax, motor vehicle registration, transfer of motor vehicle, property tax, professional tax, Cotton fee, e-stamping, mutation fee, fard fee, sales tax on services, the Punjab Infrastructural Development Cess, business registration fee, and route permit through epay Punjab.