What is digital marking?

Регина Леоненко

Digital marking is the process of applying a specialized code to a product or its packaging, intended to track the movement of the marked product. The main purpose of product marking is to guarantee consumers the authenticity and declared quality of the purchased goods.

A two-dimensional Data Matrix code is used for marking the product, which records the date and place of production, as well as tracks its movement along the supply chain: from the manufacturer to the wholesale-retail link and further to the sale of the product through an online cash register. An example of the marking code can be seen in the lower right corner of the sticker on the packaging:

At each stage, data about the production and circulation of the product is recorded in the national information system for digital marking and product traceability - NIS "Asl Belgisi".

In this article you will learn:

Why digital marking is needed
Who is responsible for marking
How much the marking code costs
Which products are marked?
How marking works

Why digital marking is needed

According to data from open sources, the overall level of the "shadow" economy in Uzbekistan in 2019 was 52.11%. Placing a Data Matrix code on the product packaging allows for more effective combat against counterfeit and smuggling, protecting legal businesses and consumers from counterfeit products, as well as increasing tax collection for the state.

By recording the movement of the marked product at each stage from the manufacturer to the buyer, the appearance of product duplicates and the possibility of its repeated withdrawal from circulation are excluded.

Consumers can verify the authenticity of the product by scanning the marking code using the mobile application "ASL Belgisi ".

Who is responsible for marking

Manufacturers and importers are responsible for applying the marking code; they are obliged to order marking codes, mark the product during production, introduce the marked product into circulation, and transmit product data to the marking system for further operations by other participants in the product circulation.

The issuance of marking codes and operation of the NIS "Asl Belgisi" system is managed by the operator LLC "CRPT TURON". They ensure the creation, operation, and development of the NIS "Asl Belgisi".

How much the marking code costs

The cost of digital marking is defined by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 833 dated 31.12.2020:

According to resolution No. 833 dated 31.12.2020, the Operator charges a fee of 68 soms for one marking code (VAT is paid separately).
The code is paid only by the manufacturer or importer of the product;
other participants (wholesale, retail, consumers) do not pay anything.

How marking works

The life cycle of marking consists of the following stages:

A participant in the product circulation registers in the NIS "Asl Belgisi".
The manufacturer or importer orders a digital code and applies a unique code to the product.
The entire logistics chain along which the marked item moves is recorded by the marking code—from the factory to the consumer, from introduction into circulation to withdrawal from circulation.
The code is scanned by a product circulation participant using a special 2D scanner at the time of sale on the online cash register. This transmits information to the system about the product’s withdrawal from circulation.
Using the mobile application for digital product marking, the consumer can verify its legality.