Sugar mills asked to install CCTV cameras for production monitoring by Nov 8

The federal government has reinstated its initiative to monitor sugar mills by setting a deadline of November 8, 2024, for all mills to install IP-based CCTV cameras on their premises. 

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), under the Revenue Division of Pakistan, issued this directive to ensure enhanced oversight of sugar production.

In a notification dated October 30, 2024, the Directorate of Information Technology & Digital Transformation at the FBR specified the requirements, following an October 28 meeting between the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and FBR officials at the FBR headquarters in Islamabad. During this meeting, it was agreed that all sugar mills would install IP-based CCTV systems to monitor operations, with the video footage stored on network video recorders (NVRs) accessible to the FBR.

The PSMA proposed four primary locations within each mill for camera placement: the weigh bridge, chain carrier, drier, and hopper/packaging area. The FBR also provided detailed specifications for the CCTV cameras and related equipment to ensure compliance with the directive.

The notification mandates that all mills complete the installation, commissioning, and testing of the CCTV system as per the provided specifications and guidelines, and notify the FBR of completion by November 8. According to the directive, the NVR must store 60 days of footage and allow exports in a format readable by any general video player, without requiring specific software.

Further security measures require that each NVR be placed in a secure cabinet or room, with keys handed over to an FBR-designated official. An FBR team will have access to retrieve footage within the 60-day storage period.

Mills are instructed to maintain the CCTV system’s continuous operation and to immediately inform the relevant FBR field formations of any disruptions within 24 hours, ensuring timely restoration of functionality.

This is not the first time the FBR has proposed electronic monitoring for sugar mills. A similar initiative was introduced in 2021 as part of a broader track-and-trace system aimed at ensuring proper tax compliance by tracking the production and movement of goods in sectors like sugar, tobacco, fertilizer, and cement.