LAHORE: The Excise Department has revised courier service charges for important registration items, including vehicle files, number plates, and smart cards. The decision was made under a newly approved three-year contract following detailed analysis of rising costs and market trends.
Officials confirmed that the updated charges were necessary to adjust for inflation while ensuring affordability. The revised rates are PKR 100 for vehicle files, PKR 90 for number plates, and PKR 48 for smart cards. Previously, these items cost PKR 43, PKR 34, and PKR 27 respectively.
The changes come after the Pakistan Post proposed a 400 percent hike in delivery rates, which exceeded even private courier service costs. The proposal was immediately rejected by Director General Excise, Omar Sher Chatha, who emphasized the need for fair and sustainable courier charges.
According to the Excise Department, the revised rates have already been forwarded to the provincial government for final approval. Authorities highlighted that the move aims to balance economic realities while keeping government-to-government deliveries affordable.
The logistics sector in Pakistan has been under pressure due to new taxes introduced in the Finance Bill 2025. These include a 2% withholding tax and a 2% sales tax on cash-on-delivery shipments, which have pushed courier companies to increase their service charges.
Separately, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government recently launched a new vehicle registration and number plate system. The initiative aligns with the federal model and links registration numbers and plates directly to the owner’s CNIC instead of the chassis number. According to an official notification by the Excise Department, the system will be fully enforced after November 30, 2025.
The revised courier charges and new registration system reflect broader reforms in Pakistan’s transportation and logistics framework, aimed at improving efficiency while keeping costs manageable.
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