US firm, BURS seal 10-yr ‘track and trace’ deal

Crackdown: The BURS is going ahead with the track and trace system PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Crackdown: The BURS is going ahead with the track and trace system PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Texas-based authentication firm, Authentix, says it has scooped a 10-year deal to provide the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) with technology to implement the contentious 'track and trace' system designed to crack down on alcohol and tobacco tax losses.

In a statement earlier today, Authentix said the new contract covers the marking and digital tracking of an estimated 500 million product units per year.

The track and trace system involves placing a biometric imprint on all alcohol and tobacco products as they are manufactured and imported into the country, allowing the BURS to check that the correct tax revenue is being paid and that the products are genuine and not illicit.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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