CM orders introduction of modern tax collection system.

PESHAWAR -- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the excise department to modernise the tax collection system by introducing e-initiatives to extend the maximum facilitation to taxpayers.

He also ordered a comprehensive examination of all laws and rules for necessary amendments to meet current and future needs, according to a statement issued here.

The chief minister was a chairing a meeting called to review progress on the projects of the excise, taxation and narcotics control department.

Adviser to the CM on excise and taxation Mian Khaleequr Rehman, principal secretary to the CM Amjad Ali Khan, excise and taxation secretary Adeel Shah and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The chief minister said his government was committed to eliminating drugs from the province and would utilise all available resources to protect youth from narcotics.

Says officers of good repute should be appointed Officials briefed participants about the projects launched by the excise, taxation and narcotics control department and said under the Universal Number Plate initiative, 5,000 universal number plates were issued, while the issuance of 35,000 more was in progress.

They highlighted the steps taken for narcotics control and said that the department, as directed by the provincial government, had tightened the noose around drug peddlers and smugglers.

The officials said that 40 cases were registered against drug traffickers and peddlers, 50 arrests were made and 33 vehicles used for narcotics smuggling were seized during the last one month.

They also said that in the same period, large quantities of drugs, including 246kg hashish, 60kg heroin, 104kg opium and around 10kg crystal meth (ice drug), were confiscated.

The officials said that under the instructions of the chief minister, intelligence-based targeted operations were being carried out for seizing narcotics.

They said that since August 2020, 674 drug cases had been registered, 742...