Take Note! New Tax Stamps Are Being Rolled Out For Malaysian Cigarettes
The initiative, carried out by Royal Malaysian Customs, started on 1 August 2016.
By Julie Mokhtar — 02 Aug 2016, 03:36 PM
The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has announced that new Cigarette Tax Stamps will be placed on legal and authentic cigarette packs starting this month
The move, which began on 1st August 2016, will be implemented in stages. Here's a look at the new tax stamps:
For reference, duty-free stamps are for cigarettes bought at tax-free locations, such as Langkawi and airports.
The new stamps will be replacing the security ink currently used on the bottom of cigarette packs
If you weren't aware before, the present security ink changes colour to signify its duty status: red for duty unpaid or green for duty paid.
The next time you're buying a pack of cigarettes, whether it's the hard or soft pack, just keep a look out for this sticker:
The #1 benefit of the new tax stamps? You'll have more control to find out whether the cigarettes in your hand are regulated or otherwise!
By switching to the new stamps, tobacco products are geared to be in compliance with the World Health Organisation Framework (FCTC), which uses a 'Track and Trace' system that facilitates monitoring of tobacco supply.
The new tax stamps are a major effort to ramp up security and curb the distribution of illegal cigarettes, which are potentially fatal due to its unregulated levels of chemicals. Their ties to organised crime definitely don't help either!
The JKDM2u app makes it easy for you to scan the Tax Stamp code and receive proper verification on the products you're buying
Some brands have already started rolling out the new stamps, but manufacturers are given until 1 October 2016 to fully switch
The last you'll see the Tax Stamp and Security Ink products co-existing is by 31 March 2017. Following that, it's Tax Stamps all the way!
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