LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Punjab cabinet has approved a 175 percent increase in domicile fees and decided to make the province’s domicile issuance system fully digital.
Under the new system, fees have risen from Rs200 to Rs550, which includes Rs200 as the basic fee, Rs300 for the affidavit, and Rs50 as a service charge.
Of this, Rs 500 will go to the government treasury, while Rs50 will be collected by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) as a service fee.
The revamped system allows citizens to apply online, pay through e-Pay Punjab, and receive their domicile certificates at home via courier.
A new automated domicile management system ensures digital verification and data management, reducing issuance time to just 2–3 days.
Courier charges of Rs60, security paper fees of Rs40, and Rs50 for data hosting, SMS, and system maintenance are included.
PITB estimates the average cost per application at Rs27.55, with annual system maintenance costing millions of rupees.
While the Finance Department has raised questions about public affordability and inconsistencies in fee components, officials insist the system enhances transparency, speed, and data management. Critics argue the fee hike adds financial pressure on citizens amid rising inflation.