NBR: digital Stamps required for specified excise goods trade

Manama, Dec. 4 (BNA): The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) has announced that the final phase of implementing the Digital Stamp Scheme will begin on December 24.

 

Digital stamps must be valid and activated on all products available for possession, trade, supply, or sale in local markets.

These products include electronically heated tobacco products (EHTP), jirak, chopped or pressed tobacco for pipes, chopped or pressed tobacco for dokha and chopped or pressed tobacco for cigarettes.

 

NBR urges all importers and traders in the local market to deal with appropriate quantities of the specified tobacco products and to avoid the storage of any products without digital stamps, in order to be cleared prior to the final phase going into effect by December 24.

 

Possession, trade, supply, or sale of specified tobacco products without a valid and activated digital stamp in the local market will be strictly prohibited.

 

Any specified tobacco product in the supply chain that does not have a valid and activated digital stamp must be either returned through the relevant supply chain for destruction or moved for sale outside the territories of the Kingdom.

 

 This measure aims to ensure effective implementation and to avoid any violations through inspection efforts or other operations conducted by the NBR, which requires taking further legal actions such as imposing administrative penalties or filing a criminal case for Excise evasion.

 

The Digital Stamps Scheme is designed to track excise goods from the manufacturing stage to the point of consumption through digital stamps, which will protect against the circulation of counterfeit or illegal products.

 

This final phase is part of a specific timeline that began with the first milestone on May 14, when the system was made available to place orders for Digital Stamps, followed by the second milestone of banning the import of specified tobacco products into the Kingdom of Bahrain for Customs clearance that does not have valid and activated digital stamps as of September 17.

 

Further information about the Digital Stamps Scheme is available by reaching out to the call center on 80008001 which is available 24 hours, 7 days a week, or by email through [email protected], or through the National Suggestions & Complaints System (Tawasul), in addition to visiting NBR’s website (www.nbr.gov.bh).

 

 

 

 

ZH