According to the source, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare is turning to e-invoicing rules to curb potentially dangerous lapses in government oversight.
Reports said the ministry launched the digital invoicing mandate in Taiwan’s powdered milk industry starting August 31, 2015, allowing officials to more adequately track and regulate the sector and ensure the safety of the sector’s food products. In July 2015, officials approved of the rules to apply to other food industries as well.
Similar regulations were implemented within the oil sector in 2014, reports said, following various tainted oil scandals. Government officials are hoping that digital billing and invoicing can reduce shortfalls in product quality.
Regarding the powdered milk sector, authorities will require all authorized importers, manufacturers and sellers to use digital invoicing when conducting business with infant and adult powdered milk products. Failure to do so can lead to fines, according to the ministry’s Food Safety Division.
Using the cloud to track product prices has been introduced under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, reports added. Officials said more than 96% of all powdered milk companies were already using digital invoicing.
Similar mandates will come into effect for the dairy, meat, genetically modified produce, flour, starch and lunchbox sectors beginning with 2016.
Experts say increasing transparency in B2B and government procurement procedures is one of the most prominent reasons why digital invoice mandates are implemented around the globe. Taiwan’s use of the e-invoice to track product quality and pricing, however, puts a new spin on the tactic.
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