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Nicola Sudan

30 Sept. 2021

2 min read

Tanzania’s Tax Stamp Success

The Tanzanian Parliamentary Budget Committee has commended the performance of the country’s tax stamp programme and has called for it to be extended to more products.

Countries

Nicola Sudan

28 Sept. 2021

3 min read

De La Rue Announces Upgrade to Malta Site

De La Rue has announced a major investment to expand its existing facilities in Malta, in order to create a 29,000m2 manufacturing site. The expansion will double De La Rue Authentication’s manufacturing capacity for tax stamps and brand protection labels, and provide a more flexible, agile and environmentally- friendly manufacturing footprint for its Currency division.

Authentication

Nicola Sudan

22 Sept. 2021

5 min read

Another Traceability System for Russia… But No Product Marking Required

In July, Russia’s new National Product Traceability System (NPTS) transitioned from being experimental and voluntary, to a mandatory scheme for businesses dealing in certain types of products. The new scheme was implemented alongside the already existing Chestny ZNAK (‘honest mark’) product traceability system, introduced in 2019.

Countries Track and Trace

Chander S Jeena

15 Sept. 2021

2 min read

SEATCA Urges Southeast Asian Nations to Improve Tobacco Tax Policy

Four countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam – could have collected an additional $4.81 billion in tax revenue over the last two years and prevented more than 1.3 million premature deaths, if they had had an effective tobacco tax policy in place, claims a recent study released by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).

Excise Products Tax & Revenue

Chander S Jeena

8 Sept. 2021

3 min read

Uttar Pradesh’s Ongoing Fight with Illicit Liquor: Two Years of Using Plain Barcode Label

In June, in an unfortunate hooch tragedy (hooch is another word for moonshine – or illicit liquor), more than 100 people lost their lives in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, a police raid raised concerns that the state excise policy was inadequate and needed reviewing, especially in relation to the use of tax stamps as an important anti-counterfeiting tool.

Countries Excise Products Illicit Trade

Nicola Sudan

26 Aug. 2021

6 min read

Tax Stamps, Track & Trace, Real-Time Data – Key Ingredients for a Fully Functioning System, Say Global Bodies

In July, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) held a webinar on the benefits of track and trace systems as tools in tobacco tax administration, as well as the best practices for implementing such systems.

Events Free Track and Trace Free

Sven Bergmann

26 Aug. 2021

2 min read

Malta – Steady Does It

Malta is showing the world how to address the complex problem of illicit tobacco – ie. by adopting a steady and consistent approach.

Countries Excise Products

Francisco Mandiola

26 Aug. 2021

8 min read

Pan-Latin American Analysis: Part II

In last month’s Tax Stamp & Traceability News™, we published the first of a two-part review of tax stamps and traceability programmes in Latin America. This month, we give a brief update on Central American countries, together with more in-depth coverage of Costa Rica and Ecuador, where there have been several key developments.

Countries Tax & Revenue Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

25 Aug. 2021

1 min read

Pakistan Gets Green Light to Implement Track & Trace

The Sindh High Court in Pakistan has reversed a stay order imposed earlier this year on a licence agreement issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for a track and trace system on local and imported tobacco, cement, sugar and fertiliser.

Countries Track and Trace

Sven Bergmann

18 Aug. 2021

7 min read

Illicit Tobacco Trade ‘Down Under’ Goes Local

In this article, we examine the illicit tobacco trade in Australia and how it is continuing to evolve. We look at what continues to drive smokers to seek illicit tobacco, but also what criminal networks did when looking to source and traffic illicit tobacco products into Australia during the pandemic.

Countries Excise Products Illicit Trade

Nicola Sudan

11 Aug. 2021

3 min read

Bahrain and Qatar to Start Using Tax Stamps for First Time

Bahrain’s National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) and the General Tax Authority (GTA) of Qatar have recently announced the signature of new contracts with De La Rue for the provision of national digital tax stamp and traceability programmes on a number of excise goods.

Countries Tax Stamps

Sven Bergmann

28 July 2021

7 min read

Counterfeit Cigarettes Might be Making a Comeback

KPMG’s annual study of the illicit trade in tobacco in Europe is a robust and well-established study of illicit trade trends in Europe since its inception in 2006.

Excise Products Illicit Trade

Francisco Mandiola

28 July 2021

9 min read

Pan-Latin American Analysis: Part I

It is no secret that the world, and the Latin American region in particular, has faced many negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Countries Tax & Revenue Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

27 July 2021

2 min read

ZEISER Acquires Track and Trace Technology

The German company ZEISER, which provides impact and non-impact serialisation solutions and services to the security printing industry, has acquired the track and trace software solutions of Inspectron, a global technology provider of document inspection and track and trace systems for security printers.

Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

27 July 2021

1 min read

OpSec SmartCheck: Validating Holograms with the Ease of a Smartphone

OpSec Security has launched OpSec® SmartCheck, a proprietary, smartphoneenabled solution that uses artificial intelligence to validate optically variable devices (OVDs).

Authentication Technology & Systems

Nicola Sudan

27 July 2021

2 min read

Draft US Bill Released to Legalise Cannabis at Federal Level

The first draft of a long-anticipated US senate bill to federally legalise marijuana has been released. While cannabis is legal for medical or adult-use in 36 US states and four territories, at federal level it is still classified as an illegal, Schedule I drug.

Countries Excise Products

Nicola Sudan

27 July 2021

5 min read

Does It Make Sense to Levy Excise Tax on Telecom Services?

The recent news that Nigeria is considering the introduction of excise tax on telecommunication airtime charges, in a bid to raise additional revenues, has prompted stakeholders to question whether excise taxes are actually appropriate for this sector.

Free Tax & Revenue Free

Nicola Sudan

27 July 2021

1 min read

Award for SICPA’s Latest Handheld Detection Solution

SICPA’s latest generation of handheld detection solutions, SICPAGUARD® HDSense – which is used for checking product authenticity in the field – has been recognised with a 2021 Red Dot Design Award.

Authentication

Sven Bergmann

20 July 2021

3 min read

Illicit Trade in South Africa – An Experiment in Public Health Goes Wrong

When South Africa banned the sale of all alcohol and tobacco in early 2020, the intent was clear and noble: free up hospital beds so they would be available for COVID patients – and reduce tobacco consumption while a respiratory disease is ravaging the country.

Countries Illicit Trade

Nicola Sudan

7 July 2021

2 min read

New Traffic Light Security Ink from GSI

Gleitsmann Security Inks (GSI) has launched what it terms the ‘world’s first traffic light for banknotes’, in the form of mouveGSI, a unique security feature that will also help safeguard security documents such as tax stamps using luminescent colour effects.

Authentication

Latest News

Tanzania’s Tax Stamp Success

De La Rue Announces Upgrade to Malta Site

Another Traceability System for Russia… But No Product Marking Required

SEATCA Urges Southeast Asian Nations to Improve Tobacco Tax Policy

Uttar Pradesh’s Ongoing Fight with Illicit Liquor: Two Years of Using Plain Barcode Label

Tax Stamps, Track & Trace, Real-Time Data – Key Ingredients for a Fully Functioning System, Say Global Bodies

Malta – Steady Does It

Pan-Latin American Analysis: Part II

Pakistan Gets Green Light to Implement Track & Trace

Illicit Tobacco Trade ‘Down Under’ Goes Local

Bahrain and Qatar to Start Using Tax Stamps for First Time

Counterfeit Cigarettes Might be Making a Comeback

Pan-Latin American Analysis: Part I

ZEISER Acquires Track and Trace Technology

OpSec SmartCheck: Validating Holograms with the Ease of a Smartphone

Draft US Bill Released to Legalise Cannabis at Federal Level

Does It Make Sense to Levy Excise Tax on Telecom Services?

Award for SICPA’s Latest Handheld Detection Solution

Illicit Trade in South Africa – An Experiment in Public Health Goes Wrong

New Traffic Light Security Ink from GSI

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