Manama September 7, 2022:

The National Revenue Authority confirmed that as of October 16, 2022, the distinctive mark system of Digital Stamps will be applied to cigarette products in the country. This decision is implemented in line with the directives of the CEO of the National Revenue Authority, where all cigarette products available for sale must be marked with the stamp for trading in the local market.

The Authority called on all importers and traders in the region to deal in appropriate quantities and not to store large quantities of cigarettes that do not bear digital stamps, so that the stock will be cleared before October 16, 2022.

This directive will help them prepare for the ban on the sale, circulation, possession and supply of cigarettes that do not bear stamps. After the commencement of the digitization phase, any product in the supply chain that isn’t digitally stamped will have to be either destroyed or moved outside the territory of the Kingdom to avoid issues with the law for non-adherence. Penalties can range from administrative fines to cases for Public Prosecution.

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