Authentix-led group wins Pakistan digital tax stamp tender
Summary
Pakistan’s government has awarded a contract to implement a track and trace system for tobacco, cement, sugar and fertilizer to a consortium led by US authentication specialist Authentix. NRTC was offering a track and trace system developed by Inexto, a company controlled by former Philip Morris International (PMI) employees, which led to accusations that the tobacco industry was exerting too much influence over the process. Using nano-optics to create a new, highly secure brand protection solution After that contract was awarded, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) industry group said that a week before the tender closed a lobbying meeting took place between the FBR and tobacco firms, in violation of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Protocol – which Pakistan has signed up to. The new tender process that followed was an opportunity for Pakistan to introduce traceability across other industries affected by illicit trade – a multisector approach that is similar to that adopted in Russia with its Chestny ZNAK programme. For tobacco products alone, that illicit trade robs Pakistan’s treasury of around $480m a year, which for comparison is more than three times the amount currently allocated for annual federal government spending on healthcare.
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