LAHORE: Up to 2,500 restaurants across Punjab, including many in Lahore, have been registered with the Electronic Invoice Monitoring System (e-IMS) during the current fiscal year, with 300 sales points integrated so far.

A spokesperson for the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) revealed that numerous restaurants voluntarily registered in light of enforcement actions and a registration drive initiated by the authority.

“The PRA has intensified efforts to broaden the tax base by bringing unregistered restaurants into the tax net and integrating eligible restaurants with the e-IMS. This enforcement drive has led to a significant increase in registered restaurants,” the spokesperson stated in a press release on Thursday.

The integration of e-IMS with the Point of Sale (POS) system aims to simplify tax processes for taxpayers by eliminating the need for separate integrations with multiple revenue authorities. It also seeks to curb tax evasion by reducing reliance on manual receipts, thereby improving transaction documentation and contributing to the documentation of the economy.

The rollout of the integration plan is being implemented in phases. Phase-1, focusing on e-IMS-POS integration for restaurants, is expected to be completed by the end of December. The system will extend to other sectors by the end of February next year. Additionally, the PRA is working on integrating e-IMS data with tax returns to simplify processes and reduce duplication of efforts.

For restaurant owners, the system streamlines invoice generation, enhancing efficiency and compliance while reducing procedural redundancies.

LESCO: A field inspection team from the Sofiabad subdivision of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) faced physical assault during an operation against electricity theft.

The team discovered a consumer, identified as Naveed, stealing electricity directly from low-tension wires. Upon disconnecting the illegal supply, Naveed and two accomplices attacked the Lesco team, holding them hostage and physically assaulting them.

The incident was reported to the police, who arrived at the scene; however, the accused managed to escape. An investigation is underway to apprehend those responsible.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2024