TTS for major tax evading sectors: AJCL/Authentix consortium highest scorer in bidding

ISLAMABAD: To place a track and trace system (TTS) for major tax evading sectors including tobacco, sugar, cement, fertilizer and beverages, the FBR has received financial bidding and found the AJCL/Authentix consortium as the highest scorer in the bidding process.

“The AJCL/Authentix is the successful bidder and the contract award will be issued during the due process. The contract may be awarded within next 15 days after negotiations as per PPRA rules” top official sources confirmed to The News here on Monday.

The much-awaited track and trace system could not be awarded in last more than one decade despite making several efforts. Now under the IMF programme, it is a binding condition to place track and trace system to avoid evading taxes. According to the FBR’s announcement on Monday late night, stating that the Federal Board of Revenue has successfully completed the evaluation process for the grant of a five-year licence for an IT-based solution for electronic monitoring (Track and Trace System) of specified goods i.e. tobacco, cement, sugar and fertilizer.

Initially, 11 bids were received out of which eight bids technically qualified. The technical scores were awarded to them on the basis of specified evaluation criteria. To ensure complete transparency, technical scores of all technically compliant bidders were displayed for all attendees to see prior to opening of the financial bids.

Afterwards, the opening of the financial bids was held on Monday at the FBR Headquarters, Islamabad, which was attended by eight technically compliant applicants/bidders. The financial bids were publicly opened by a 7-member licensing committee headed by Karamatullah Khan Chaudhry. Accordingly, cumulative (technical and financial) scores of all the eight qualified applicants were derived.

As a result, M/s AJCL/Authentix/MITAS was declared “the most advantageous bidder” on the basis of the combined highest score in accordance with the Licensing Rules 2019 and PPRA Rules 2004. The FBR has stated that installation of the track and trace system in the identified sectors would be a game-changer for improving revenue and curbing counterfeit products in the market.