Digital Tax Stamps to be used to identify certified beverage products

Jun 13, 2022

Digital tax stamps are unique labels applied on packages of products.Β 

The new products include cooking oil, juices, alcoholic, non-alcoholic and fermented beverages.

Joseph Bahingwire
Journalist @New Vision

BUSINESS | DIGITAL | TAX STAMPS

KAMPALA - With effect from July 1, 2022, consumers will be able to use Uganda Revenue Authority's digital tax stamp on all beverage products to ascertain that they are buying a product that is certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.

This was revealed by David Livingstone Ebiru, the Executive Director Uganda Bureau of Standards (UNBS) during a meeting between the members of the Kombucha Producers Association and the Uganda Alcohol Industry Association that was organized by UNBS at their Headquarters at Bweyogerere on Friday.

He said since URA only puts the digital tax stamps on certified goods, the electronic feature in the stamps will provide the consumer with assurance that the product is certified.

“This will help eliminate cases of forged Q marks on products in the market because the consumer will scan the sticker and identify whether the product is certified or not,” he said.

Uganda Revenue Authority has added digital tax stamps to five other products apart from beer: soda, bottled water, wines, spirits, tobacco products, sugar and cement - these were all gazetted earlier.

The new products include cooking oil, juices, alcoholic, non-alcoholic and fermented beverages. The development took effect on May, 1st 2022.

Digital tax stamps are unique labels applied on packages of products. 

The stamps contain security features and codes to prevent counterfeiting of products and also enable track and trace capabilities.

Ebiru said once this electronic feature is activated every person will be able to scan the stamp using any type of smartphone to know whether the product is certified or not.

He appealed to the public to report any product that will be found with a forged stamp after scanning it and proving that the product is not on the list of those certified by UNBS.

Onapito Ekomoloit the Chairman Uganda Alcohol Industry Association said such a move will help reduce the problem of uncertified alcohol products on the market thereby protecting the health of consumers and increasing government revenue in form of taxes.

“If regulation is intensified, government will earn more revenue and protect the lives of its citizens. Over 65 per cent of the alcohol on the market has not been paying taxes and this will identify some of them,” he said.

He appealed to members of the Kombucha manufacturers Association, especially those dealing in alcoholic Kombucha to join the Alcohol Industry Association in order for all parties to benefit from each other.

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