The Excise and Taxation Department of Islamabad has collected over Rs 9 billion (bln) tax during the year 2022-23 from July 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The department had collected over Rs5 billion in excise fees and over Rs4 billion in taxes for the FBR, director excise Bilal Azam told APP on Wednesday. For the first time, he said the excise office had installed interfaces in hotels for bed tax collection, adding that at the same time, record revenue was collected in terms of professional tax. “Another milestone in revenue collection achieved after bringing reforms in tax collection system”, said Azam He noted that the department had introduced new methods of tax collection by making payment system online, establishment of excise counters at motor vehicle show rooms. It was a top priority of the department to promote tax culture among the masses. The motorist was submitting all fees including vehicle token fee, registration and transfer fee through integrating credit cards, bank accounts and other payment methods. The director said, token fee was also received through National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) e-sahulat centres, City Islamabad App across the country without visiting excise office that helped increase in tax recovery. Similarly, Excise had also started vehicle registration and transfer at doorstep in collaboration with NADRA as well as mobile registration on open places for the convenience of the public, he said. An online appointment system was also introduced for the visitors to avoid long queues. To a query, he said, biometric facility was available across the country; vehicle owner can transfer vehicles by staying wherever in the country.