Business Bureau, Gulf Today

DED-Ajman initiated an inspection campaign of tobacco and tobacco product sellers in collaboration with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) to ensure their compliance with the implementation of the tobacco product marking scheme, recently launched by the FTA. The scheme prevents the sale, handling or consumption of all kinds of cigarettes not carrying digital tax stamps approved by the FTA.

During this campaign, 22 establishments, carrying out the sale of tobacco and tobacco products in the emirate, were visited.

It is noted that the Cabinet’s Decision on Tobacco and Tobacco Products Marking has determined the method to place “digital tax stamps” to indicate that Excise Tax has been paid, where producers are required to place stamps on packages of the products. This campaign reflects DED-Ajman and FTA’s joint efforts in protecting consumer rights, combating tax evasion, preventing the spread of non-conforming products in the markers, and ensuring the compliance of establishments with federal and local laws and regulations.

The FTA has announced that the selling or distribution of any unmarked tobacco products will be prohibited across all local markets as of Aug.1, 2019.

In a press statement issued, the Federal Tax Authority said that it held a series of training workshops to introduce inspectors across the UAE’s economic development departments to the objectives and implementation methods to apply as per the ‘Marking Tobacco and Tobacco Products Scheme’, which went into effect in January 2019.

According to the FTA statement, the workshops seek to ensure preparedness before carrying out inspection campaigns to verify that the Marking Tobacco and Tobacco Products Scheme is being implemented.