This month, we continue our interview series exploring the experiences of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members, who offer their perspective on the tax stamp industry, and their predictions of challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Smart packaging is a term that means different things to different communities. The aim of this article is to take a wider look at trends in smart packaging and consider some of the potential implications for tax stamps and track and trace solutions.

Smoke Free Partnership, a coalition of NGOs working on EU policy analysis and advocacy linked to the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has published a report by Luk Joossens, Senior Advisor, on the status of track and trace in countries that are party to the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Established in 1952, the WCO (World Customs Organisation) is the global centre of customs experience, representing 185 customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade.

The third session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will take place on 27-30 November in Panama, and the provisional agenda has now been released.

This month, we present the sixth interview with an International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) member, providing their perspective on the present opportunities and challenges of the industry, and the developments they anticipate for its future.

India’s government banknote printer, Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL), is looking to target the tax stamp export market. The organisation is inviting bids for consultants or agencies to represent it globally for procurements related to excise labels and other security products, including banknotes, coins, security paper, and inks.

KPMG has released the 2023 edition of its annual study, ‘Illicit Cigarette Consumption in the EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland, Moldova and Ukraine’, which reveals an overall increasing rate of illicit consumption in the region, especially in France.

Nanobrick, the South Korean company founded in 2007 by its current CEO, Jae-Hyun Joo, is building a presence in the security and authentication field with what it calls its ‘active nano platform’ (ANP). Tax stamps are one of its target markets.

De La Rue has announced that its Authentication division is on track to exceed £100 million in revenue for fiscal year 2024, demonstrating good growth versus 2023 results.

Revenue authorities, experts, and solution providers from around the world have confirmed their speaking slot at the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum, taking place in Tbilisi, Georgia from 2-4 October 2023.

At the recent World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council session, in Brussels, Edward Kieswetter, Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), was elected as chairperson of the Council, replacing Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Director General of Bahrain Customs.

A little over two years ago, Costa Rica was in the throes of allegations by TRACIT (Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade) that the best way to fight illicit tobacco trade was through a close collaboration between private sector companies (eg. tobacco producers) and the public sector.

The programme for the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™ (TSTF) is almost finalised and includes some interesting presentations by tax authorities and solution providers alike.

We continue our interview series exploring the perspective of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members, who offer some of their experiences within the tax stamp industry, and their predictions of challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In the May 2023 issue of Tax Stamp & Traceability News™, we reported on how the tobacco lobbying concerns of several EU parliament members were largely being ignored by the European Commission.

Earlier this year, in an update on Latin America in this same newsletter, we posited that Argentina’s AFIP (Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos), the government institution in charge of the country’s tax policies, would be toughening up its stance against illicit tobacco trade and tax evasion.

As the first G20 nation to legalise recreational cannabis, Canada is well-placed to set the regulatory blueprint for the world. But there are still kinks to be ironed out, including a call by operators for a single national excise stamp to replace the current provincial stamps.

High security printing is based on features made available exclusively for that market. In the case of special inks, for example, this includes pigments with several modes of fluorescence, rare earth pigments, or different types of color shifting.

Authentix has announced that it has acquired Netherlands-based Royal Joh Enschedé, a leading specialty printing and security solutions provider, from investment firm Nimbus.