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Filtered by Countries — 114 articles

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

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

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

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

28 June 2021

3 min read

Mali Delegation Draws on Burkina Faso’s Tobacco Tracing Experience

In April, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Industry and Trade welcomed a delegation of public and private sector officials from its West African neighbour Mali, who were seeking to draw inspiration from Burkina Faso’s experience in tobacco product traceability.

Countries Excise Products Illicit Trade

Nicola Sudan

28 June 2021

5 min read

Cigarettes Flagged as Illicit by Cloned ID Number, Not by Security Label

In France and the UK, there have been recent news stories of cigarette packs identified in the market as illicit because they were all carrying the same ID number (when this number should in fact be unique to each pack). What was not mentioned in these reports, however, was whether or not the packs were carrying authentication labels, which they are obliged to do under the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

Authentication Countries Excise Products

Nicola Sudan

28 June 2021

2 min read

Uganda Tax Stamp Programme Smashes Performance Targets

Following the 2019 launch of its tax stamp and traceability programme on locally manufactured and imported beer, spirits, wine, soda, mineral water and tobacco products, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has far exceeded some of the key performance targets set for the programme.

Countries Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

20 June 2021

3 min read

Pakistan Wins Tobacco Control Award – But There are Gaps in the Picture

According to media website dawn.com, there are gaps in the picture with regard to The World Health Organisation’s award to Pakistan for its anti-tobacco efforts.

Countries Excise Products Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

25 May 2021

9 min read

The Global Use of Tax Stamps – Asia and Australasia

In the January issue of Tax Stamp & Traceability News™, we launched a new series on the use of tax stamps and associated track and trace systems in different regions of the world, starting with Africa. This month, we shift the focus to Asia and Australasia.

Case Studies Countries Reports & Studies

Nicola Sudan

25 May 2021

2 min read

Wholesaler Sues Tax Agency for NOT Issuing Stamps

It’s not often that we hear members of the tobacco industry complaining that a tax authority is not issuing tax stamps – in fact, the complaints are usually because the opposite is true.

Countries Excise Products Tax & Revenue

Nicola Sudan

25 May 2021

2 min read

Benin’s Booming Illicit Fuel Trade Calls for New Responses

The illicit fuel trade in Benin has soared since 1980, and the situation isn’t much better today, reports David Zounmenou for ISS Today.

Countries Illicit Trade

Ian Lancaster

30 April 2021

7 min read

Georgia Opens Invitation for Expression of Interest

Georgia has a remarkably successful tobacco tax stamp programme which has been reported on in Tax Stamp & Traceability News™ (TSTN). Here we interview two managers from the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia (GRS), Levan Dgebuadze, head of the Service Department, and Samson Uridia, head of the International Relations Department, to find out more about it.

Countries Interviews Tenders

Nicola Sudan

29 April 2021

3 min read

Pakistan Finalises Major Track and Trace Agreement…Only to Have it Stayed in Court

In March, the consortium of Authentix, Inc, MITAS Corporation and AJCL Private Limited finalised a licence agreement with the Pakistan Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to implement a track and trace system on tobacco, cement, sugar and fertiliser. The agreement covered an initial five-year term, with a three-year extension option.

Countries Tenders Track and Trace

Chander S Jeena

29 April 2021

5 min read

Latest Tax Stamp and Traceability Developments in Nepal

Nepal has been using excise stamps (hereinafter referred to as tax stamps) for more than two decades now, with the stamps effectively contributing to government tax revenue. Indeed, every year, the Nepalese government generates 57 billion Nepalese rupees ($477 million) from excise duty, value-added tax, and health hazard tax imposed on cigarettes and alcohol.

Countries Tax Stamps Track and Trace

Nicola Sudan

21 April 2021

3 min read

Ontario Issues RFI for Tracking Raw Leaf Tobacco

In the July 2016 issue of Tax Stamp News™, Sven Bergmann of Venture Global Consulting covered a report by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute – a conservative policy think tank in Ottawa, Canada – on the illicit tobacco trade in Canada.

Countries Excise Products

Nicola Sudan

30 March 2021

3 min read

Uganda Extends Tax Stamps to Cement and Sugar

On 1 April, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) will launch its ‘Digital Tax Stamps’ (DTS) programme on cement and sugar. Initially introduced at the end of 2019 on domestic and imported beer, spirits, wine, soda, mineral water and tobacco products, the programme resulted in a 270% increase in the number of active taxpayers in the country.

Countries

Nicola Sudan

30 March 2021

2 min read

Philippines to Remove Tax Stamp Exemption on Exports

The Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has announced it will reverse the rules exempting export cigarettes from carrying tax stamps, after a legislator raised concerns that exports were entering the market as tax-free smuggled goods.

Countries Illicit Trade

Michael Eads

30 March 2021

6 min read

Costa Rica Takes Bold Step to Protect Citizens Against Illegal Alcohol

In 2019, more than 25 people died in a single case of alcohol poisoning resulting from methanol-laced alcoholic drinks. Soon thereafter, the government closed over 10 establishments and seized 55,000 containers of the killer alcohol.

Case Studies Countries Excise Products

Sven Bergmann

26 March 2021

5 min read

Canada Revenue Agency Penalties Highlight Black Market in Cannabis

When Canada legalized cannabis in October 2018, the expectation was that cannabis would be a significant revenue generator right out of the gate.

Countries Excise Products Illicit Trade

Chander S Jeena

19 March 2021

3 min read

The Latest from India – Punjab Adopts Slew of Measures to Curb Illicit Liquor

In its bid to generate excise revenue and disrupt the kind of spurious partnerships between manufacturers and transporters that have led to tragedies involving illicit liquor, the Punjab state government has adopted a slew of excise policy measures.

Countries Excise Products Illicit Trade

Latest News

Bahrain and Qatar to Start Using Tax Stamps for First Time

Pan-Latin American Analysis: Part I

Draft US Bill Released to Legalise Cannabis at Federal Level

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

Mali Delegation Draws on Burkina Faso’s Tobacco Tracing Experience

Cigarettes Flagged as Illicit by Cloned ID Number, Not by Security Label

Uganda Tax Stamp Programme Smashes Performance Targets

Pakistan Wins Tobacco Control Award – But There are Gaps in the Picture

The Global Use of Tax Stamps – Asia and Australasia

Wholesaler Sues Tax Agency for NOT Issuing Stamps

Benin’s Booming Illicit Fuel Trade Calls for New Responses

Georgia Opens Invitation for Expression of Interest

Pakistan Finalises Major Track and Trace Agreement…Only to Have it Stayed in Court

Latest Tax Stamp and Traceability Developments in Nepal

Ontario Issues RFI for Tracking Raw Leaf Tobacco

Uganda Extends Tax Stamps to Cement and Sugar

Philippines to Remove Tax Stamp Exemption on Exports

Costa Rica Takes Bold Step to Protect Citizens Against Illegal Alcohol

Canada Revenue Agency Penalties Highlight Black Market in Cannabis

The Latest from India – Punjab Adopts Slew of Measures to Curb Illicit Liquor

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