It may not have been like the in-person seminars we’re all accustomed to, or yearning for, but we were very happy to report that the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) webinar for the Latin American region, held on 3 December under the title ‘Illicit Tobacco during Lockdown: Controlling Tobacco in a COVID-19 Context’, drew close to 150 registrants from all over the Spanish-speaking world.

In October, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) wrote to Julio Castilla Peláez, President of the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce (CCCR), responding to an article in the La Nación newspaper titled ‘Traders reject attempt to revive plan to label and monitor liquor’.

In July, an online webinar held by the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) brought together 160 stakeholders from around the world to discuss best practices for implementing a tobacco control and revenue-raising programme, against the backdrop of the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has responded to criticism of paper-based tax stamps in a new report on the use of blockchain technology for collecting excise duties.

An international trade body is on a mission to recruit new members who can help fight the fraudulent trade of tobacco, alcohol and other products.