RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Board of Revenue (BoR) and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB)’s joint flagship e-Stamping project has crossed all time higher figure of Rs 75 billion revenue collection till Friday, which is an unprecedented contribution towards the national economy through automation of the process.

This was informed in a meeting chaired by Dr Umar Saif Chairman PITB while reviewing the performance and progress of e-Stamping project here Friday.

The meeting was informed that total e-Stamp papers (Judicial–non judicial) sold/ issued through this system were 2,887,739in number out of which 2,648,362 were non-judicial and 239,377 were judicial e-Stamp papers. So far 4.7 million plus unique users have consulted e-Stamping system.

It may be recalled that the electronic stamp paper system was devised after replacing the 1899 colonial rule law after 117 and brought historic change through technology in the province of the Punjab, which ensured transparency and raised record proceeds through a citizen friendly system and eliminating the fiscal drainage, fraud and malpractices of the past. Dr Umar Saif said that the acceptance of the system by the masses acknowledged the citizens’ confidence in the technological interventions.

He directed the PITB officials to make arrangements in collaboration with Board of Revenue to launch e-Stamp papers less than worth of Rs 1000, which in volume though stood to 5 % of the whole activity. PITB’s e-Stamping team was conducting refresher trainings for Sub Registrars and Revenue Officials in all over the Punjab with an aim to tackle counterfeiting and verification of duties using e-Stamping System, the meeting was informed.

e-Stamp system has saved the common citizen from fraud, forgery, agent mafia, long queues in the treasury office and the banks as the duration of receiving Stamp papers has been reduced from three days to fifteen minutes, which is now operative in the 36 districts and 144 tehsils of the Punjab.