LAHORE: Diners in Punjab should expect a QR code on their bill from now on. Moving against alleged tax manipulation in the hospitality sector, the Punjab Revenue Authority has imposed a province-wide ban on the issuance of informal, handwritten receipts by restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and marriage halls.

On the direction of PRA Chairman Moazzam Iqbal Sipra, commissioners in every district have issued the relevant notifications. Under the order, all such businesses must issue receipts through the Electronic Invoice Monitoring System (EIMS).

Businesses that fail to issue EIMS-generated receipts face fines ranging from Rs400,000 to Rs1 million, and repeated violations can result in the premises being sealed for up to a month. The PRA has also warned of strict legal action for obstructing officials, tampering with sales records or refusing to hand them over.

Kitchen order slips, unpaid bills and similar substitutes are now banned outright. Every customer receipt must carry the business name, address, receipt number and the PRA’s QR code. Officials said the measure is aimed at bringing transparency to tax collection, digitising sales records and curbing evasion.