FBR decides to bring 100 units of influential sectors under TTS next month

ISLAMABAD: The FBR has decided to bring 100 units of influential sectors including sugar, cement and fertilizer under the automated Track and Trace System (TTS) next month.

It will aim to use technology for stopping evasion of billions of rupees taxes on per annum basis.

In the second phase of expanding track and trace system for three more influential sectors, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would issue Request for Proposal (RFP) next week for seeking applications from interested parties to provide technological solutions to gauge the real production and stopping evasion of billions of rupees taxes.

Then the track and trace system will be placed for beverages in third phase probably in March 2020. In the fourth and last phase, this much-awaited track and trace system will be placed for POL products in the next fiscal year 2020-21 after July 1, 2020.

When contacted to FBR’s Member Inland Revenue Policy and official spokesman Dr Hamid Ateeq Sarwar on Thursday night and asked about meeting held with sugar sector here for placing track and trace system, he confirmed to this scribe that the RFP for three more sectors would be issued next week as the FBR wanted to place this technological solution next month.

He said that there were four fertilizer units in the county and number of sugar units stood at 48 while the number of cement plants hovered around 40 units.

The track and trace system for 100 units belonging to sugar, cement and fertilizer would be placed next month. He also said that third and fourth phase of track and trace system would bring beverages and POL products under the system.

The FBR had opened bidding and granted licence of track and trace system for tobacco industry.

The FBR had directed all cigarette manufacturers last month to implement fully automated ‘Track and Trace' system on tobacco products in six months period.

The directions were issued by Project Director ‘Track and Trace' system to the cigarette manufacturers during the last meeting of the stakeholders held at the FBR House.

Out of 11 cigarette manufacturers, the meeting was attended by two major companies and three local manufacturers.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir high-ups had assured the FBR that their tax department would implement the said project for units operating within the jurisdiction of the AJK.

On other hand, Islamabad High Court (IHC) had already issued notice to the FBR to file report on the grant of licence of track and trace system for tobacco products to the M/s Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).

Under FBR SRO 250(I)/2019, the licencee shall be responsible to operationalise the system within six months of issuance of licence.

The licencee shall run and manage the system under proper warrantee and shall ensure maintenance during the period of licence. The licencee shall charge fee for tax stamps from the manufacturer or importer.

The stakeholders including licencee had informed the FBR that at least six months would be needed to import the required machinery for the project.

The FBR had granted permission to implement the project in six months and another three months grace period.