An investigation committee established by former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has proposed the installation of monitoring devices at manufacturing facilities in the cement, fertilizer, and sugar sectors.

The committee, tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Track and Trace System (TTS), submitted a comprehensive report outlining this recommendation.  Their focus, however, is not on counterfeit or smuggled goods, but rather on ensuring proper documentation and taxation of production within these industries.

The report highlights the need for monitoring to prevent products from being sold without proper tax payments.

The committee also identified a need for clarification regarding who is responsible for procuring applicator machinery – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) or the industry itself. Further legal review is necessary to  resolve this ambiguity.

Additionally, the report notes that the Machine-Readable Identification System (MIS) affixed to products uses a 21-character alphanumeric code only readable through a dedicated app.