Pakistan extends T&T implementation deadline

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has launched the Track and Trace System (TTS) that was to be rolled out across the cement, sugar, fertiliser, beverages, tobacco, POL products and steel sectors from 1 July 2021 in Pakistan to enhance tax revenue, reduce counterfeiting and preventing the smuggling of illicit goods through the implementation of a robust, and has extended the deadline for cement manufacturers to fully implement the TTS to 30 April 2024.

According to a local report, the last date to implement the TTS in the cement sector was 31 December 2023, but the cement sector could not comply with this deadline. The system was implemented at one production line of each manufacturing company, but the system was installed at only some production lines.

Recently, the cement industry met with the FBR chairman at the FBR headquarters to review progress on the TTS. The industry conveyed its reservations over the issues in the smooth implementation of the system at all cement plants. The industry sought more time for full-fledged implementation of the system. Therefore, a new deadline of 30 April 2024 has been given to the cement units.

According to sources, cement bags will only be permitted to leave a production site, factory, or manufacturing plant if tax stamps/unique identification markings are applied from 30 April 2024.

With assistance from its Licensee Authentix Inc, US, and consortium partners AJCL Private Ltd and MITAS Corporation of South Africa, the FBR has been striving to implement the T&T solution in the cement sector since 1 July 2021.