ISLAMABAD: It is in the interest of the tobacco industry that a track and trace system be implemented flawlessly to control counterfeiting and evasion of Federal Excise Duty (FED) in the country, Samera Irfan, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Khyber Tobacco Company said.

She welcomed the recent announcement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to expedite track and trace installation in all cigarette factories within two weeks. She said: “This is the best and most efficient way to stop counterfeit products and FED evasion. Khyber Tobacco is the first ever national tobbaco company to have already implemented track and trace across its sales and production.”

At a meeting in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the automatic system should be installed in all cigarette factories within two weeks. He emphasised that law enforcement agencies should provide all possible support to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to prevent the smuggling and sale of illegal cigarettes. The PM also expressed concern over cross-border cigarette smuggling, adding that the posting of officers with a good reputation should be done at border crossings.

Ms Irfan requested the government to improve border controls to discourage supply of smuggled cigarettes, especially at the border with Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which is the most popular point of cross-border cigarette smuggling.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023