PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) yesterday launched a high tech gadget known as the ‘Sicpa Mobile 45’ or ‘SM 45’ specifically to verify the validity of information displayed on hard drink bottles.
JKDM deputy director-general (enforcement and compliance) Datuk Matrang Suhaili said the use of the SM 45 could help his staff to check the distribution of hard drinks from the importing stage right up to the retailing stage.
“The SM 45 will scan the new tax protection stamps on the hard drink bottles which display information such as the volume, date of importation and the name of importers to assist the staff in carrying out inspection,” he said.
He disclosed this in his speech at the launching of ‘SM 45’ at the Tesco shopping centre, Puchong, near here.
He said that with the use of the technology, it would be very difficult for those selling hard drinks to escape or manipulate information to avoid legal action.
“One hundred units (of SM 45) have been provided and distributed to customs officers nationwide. We want the services of the JKDM to be recognised as a benchmark for customs services in other countries,” he said.
Matrang said he was confident that the SM 45 could detect the use of forged duty stamps and reduce leakage in the revenue and taxes on hard drinks and thus increase revenue collection by the Customs Department.
He explained that RM1.72 billion was collected from the duty and tax imposed on hard drinks which was five per cent of the whole collection by the department totalling RM35.2 billion last year.
The SM 45 technology originated from Switzerland and had been in use for the past 10 years in several countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Brazil, Kenya and Albania. — Bernama