Bahrain's National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) conducted 164 inspections in September at local markets in the governorates.

A total of 28 violations were reported that required the imposition of administrative fines according to the VAT & Excise Law, as well as monitoring several suspicions of VAT and excise evasion that may require the precautionary closing of several businesses.

Accordingly, the NBR will take legal action against the violating businesses and refer those who are proven to have committed one of the evasion crimes to the competent authorities for prosecution, which may result in imprisonment for five years and a fine equivalent to three times the amount of VAT due according to the VAT law, or imprisonment for one year and a fine equivalent to double the amount of excise evaded according to the Excise law.

As part of NBR's ongoing oversight efforts, these campaigns were organized to safeguard consumer rights and improve business compliance, so that effective implementation of VAT and excise, which include the implementation of the Digital Stamp Scheme on cigarette and waterpipe tobacco "molasses" products to ensure that businesses are aware of it In addition to spreading awareness of the procedures to follow, all cigarette and waterpipe tobacco "molasses" products available on the local markets must have digital stamps.