KARACHI, Jan 16: Registration of cars in Sindh fell by 44 per cent between July and December 2008 to 16,950 units against 30,171 during the same period last year.

According to excise department data, commercial vehicles listing dropped by 28 per cent to 3,557 as against 4,952. A total of 49,747 bike were registered during the period as against 65,968 last year.

The registration of vehicles as a whole registered a 31 pr cent drop to 70,144 from 101,086 last year.

MVR director Shoaib Siddiqui told Dawn that despite drastic cut in registration of vehicles, the department collected Rs929 million as against 928 million earlier.

About 101,086 vehicles were registered last year and their road tax has become due in January, MVR sources said.

All-Pakistan Motor Dealers Association chairman H M Shahzad attributed the drop in registration to high prices of locally assembled cars, high rate of interest on consumer financing as well as high incidence of taxation on cars registration.

Meanwhile, the department increased its revenue by 41 per cent of the target for July-Dec 2008-09. It collected Rs8,114 million during the last six months (July-Dec). The highest collection was made through infrastructure cess to Rs5,937 million against Rs2,591 million earlier, marking a 79 per cent increase.

The amount does not include Rs1,404 million deposited in the form of bank guarantees in the court.

The department collected Rs941 million in excise duty against Rs756 million earlier, professional tax Rs119 million (Rs123 million earlier), cotton fee Rs97 million, (Rs81 million) and hotel tax Rs89 million (Rs79 million).

The department has also short listed firms for filing bids for Rs180 million computerisation projects, which is aimed at automation of taxes.