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Tag: camera

  • Pakistan to Digitally Monitor Tobacco Manufacturing

    Pakistan to Digitally Monitor Tobacco Manufacturing

    Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) directed all tobacco manufacturing units to install IP-based CCTV cameras at designated points in factories and green leaf threshing stations to monitor production and reduce tax evasion, according to Sales Tax General Order No. 7 of 2025. The move requires that finished goods cannot leave factory premises unless the production process is fully recorded and monitored in real time. The measure applies to both local and multinational manufacturers and covers all stages from green leaf processing to cigarette production.

    The FBR collects 18% sales tax and federal excise duty on domestic cigarette sales, ranking the sector among the top revenue generators. Authorities believe current collections fall short of potential, estimating that proper monitoring could increase revenues to approximately Rs600 billion ($2.1 billion).

  • Hong Kong Tobacco Inspectors to Wear Body Cameras

    Hong Kong Tobacco Inspectors to Wear Body Cameras

    Hong Kong’s Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office will equip inspectors with body cameras starting today (August 20) as they enforce the city’s smoking ban. The move comes after fixed penalty notices for smoking offences rose nearly 31% last year, with 13,488 citations. New enforcement measures, including plain-clothes officers and extended surveillance, have been credited with the increase in penalties.

    The Department of Health said cameras will document enforcement activities and conflicts, with individuals notified before recording. Footage without evidential value will be deleted after 31 days.

    Lawmakers are also reviewing broader anti-smoking proposals, including expanded non-smoking zones near entrances to schools, hospitals, and elderly homes, a ban on public use of alternative smoking products from April 2026, and restrictions on flavored tobacco sales from mid-2027.