Tobacco track, trace system Bidding process to be pre-screened by NAB

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Tax Reform Implementation Committee (TRIC) have concluded that the bidding process for the track and trace system for tobacco sector would be pre-screened by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to avoid any controversy in future. Sources told Business Recorder that the decision was taken during the last meeting of the Tax Reform Implementation Committee (TRIC).
In the last meeting of the TRIC, it was decided that the draft regulation for the standardization of the track and trace system would be finalized pursuant to input from the members of the TRIC while meetings for finalizing the implementation of the track and trace system for tobacco would be held by the special assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue along FBR.
The SA to the Prime Minister on Revenue opined that in order to preclude any controversy and to enable actual implementation of the track and trace system, the draft RFT and the bidding process should be pre-screened by NAB and the guidance and advice of the chairman NAB in the matter should first be sought. He also submitted that he has requested a meeting with the NAB chairman to apprise him of the challenges in the implementation of the track and trace system. He also submitted that a meeting should be held to discuss the observations of the Competition Commission of Pakistan on the draft RFT.
It has been decided that the draft RFT and the bidding process for the track and trace system to be pre-screened by NAB to avoid any controversy at later stages.
A meeting shall be held to discuss the observations made by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on the proposed RFT for the track and trace system for tobacco.