Africa-Press – Angola. Economic operators that produce and distribute alcoholic and sugary drinks, as well as tobacco and manufactured substitutes, will be able to acquire high-security tax stamps, as of 11 July.
The respective seals must be applied to all products covered by the National Program of High Security Fiscal Seals (PROSEFA), within a period of 180 days.
With the entry into force of PROSEFA, manufacturers and producers of beverages and alcoholic liquids, as well as sugary drinks, tobacco and manufactured substitutes, have until the month of October to apply the high security seals on all their products.
As a result, the commercialization of these products in the national market is subject to the mandatory affixing of PROSEFA, whether they are imported in internationally standardized packaging or in bulk, whether they are produced locally.
The measure, implemented by the Ministry of Finance, through the General Tax Administration (AGT), is part of Presidential Decree no 216/19 of 15 July, which approves PROSEFA, with the aim of preventing counterfeit and smuggled products and ensuring the protection of public health and the well-being of citizens.
In addition, the application of stamps on said products is also intended to ensure compliance with tax obligations, which make it possible to control and supervise the correct collection of taxes on the covered products.
According to the Presidential Decree, PROSEFA is “an instrument against fraud and unfair competition, derived from the counterfeiting and falsification of products and illicit activities and guarantees the reliability of goods and products on the national market”.
With the implementation of the program, a better business environment is expected in Angola, as it can reduce counterfeiting and falsification of products, contributing to a healthier business culture in the markets of the products covered.
A reduction in the losses that the State incurs as a result of the sale of smuggled products is also envisaged, since the High Security Seal is an important tool in the fight against smuggling.
Tax Stamp purchase process
To acquire the stamps, economic operators must register on the PROSEFA platform, through the address https://prosefa.minfin.gov.ao/prosefa/, and wait for the AGT to accept them as an economic operator operating in the sectors covered by this Entity.
After proper registration and approval, the economic operator must choose the types of stamps and request their purchase. The purchase request is also approved by the AGT, upon analysis of the economic operator’s obligations with regard to its taxes.
Once approved, the invoicing process, production and dispatch of the stamps are the responsibility of Imprensa Nacional.
In the stamp purchase process, the economic operator can choose to pick up the stamps purchased at the National Press or receive them at a specific location, if the receipt address is in the national territory.
If the address is outside national territory, the goods will be delivered to the customs office closest to the destination, with the economic operator being responsible for customs clearance costs.
Fiscal characteristics and measures to prevent stamp forgery
With more than 30 security elements, physical seals have confidential details, while digital seals guarantee the same level of tracking and information, offering great security.
Each tax stamp, whether physical or digital, will be assigned a Unique Identification Number (UID) that will allow identifying and tracking each product to which the stamp is applied.
With the implementation of these measures, the national market and the consumer become aware of the quality and origin of the products made available to them. Protection against forgery is a solution made up of different security elements assigned to each type of seal.
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