FBR set to roll out new system to check sugar smuggling, tax evasion
After the failure of the Track and Trace System (TTS) launched in 2021, the Federal Board of Revenue has rolled out a new software-based sales tracking system to monitor the movement of sugar from mills to the consumer market to control tax evasion in the industry. The FBR is currently in the testing phase of the cutting-edge software named the “Sales Tracking System” and the official launch of the new system is scheduled for the end of the current month, a senior tax official told Dawn on Saturday. The FBR will try again to document the actual production, sales and supply of sugar, which is controlled by the political elites of the country. One of the reasons for the failure of the TTS was that the staff could not monitor the production of sugar, as most of the mills were owned by the influential politicians of the country. The new software will be installed at all 78 sugar mills across the country to monitor real-time supplies from these factories, which will help in controlling tax evasion as well as smuggling of the commodity. The FBR hopes that the new system will help curb tax evasion and hoarding, which have been the main causes of the sugar crisis.