In response to the coronavirus outbreak, South Africa introduced two highly contentious prohibitions, banning the sale of both alcohol and tobacco products. The impact has seen both a complete loss of all duties and taxes from these commodities, and a booming illicit trade.

In the February issue of Tax Stamp & Traceability News™, we launched a series of articles by Chander S Jeena, on the illicit tobacco trade in Southeast Asia and how it is being dealt with. This month we continue the series with an update on the situation in Thailand, although this time we are expanding our focus to include products other than tobacco.

In April, the Moscow Printing Factory of Goznak announced that it had started a pilot project, together with Russia’s Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation, for the application of what it called ‘special’ stamps to beer and low-alcohol beverages.

SICPA has been awarded a new 10-year contract to implement its SICPA Excise Tax System (SETS), which will provide a secure, online platform for the payment, collection, and tracking of Oregon’s alcohol privilege taxes (also known as excise taxes).

In November, the President of the Authentication Solution Providers Association, Mr Nakul Pasricha, was interviewed by Ambrosia (a magazine for the alcoholic beverages industry) on the impact of illicit trade on India’s alcohol market.

Uganda has launched its new tax stamp and traceability programme on six different products: beer, spirits, wine, soda, mineral water and tobacco products.