FBR orders textile spinning mills to install video cameras by 15 November

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has told every registered textile spinning unit to install video surveillance cameras by 15 November 2026 to monitor how much cotton and other fibre goes into production, ProPakistani reported on Monday. The instruction is in Sales Tax General Order No. 30 of 2026, issued on 26 October.

Mills already had to monitor cotton bales under an order of 20 November 2025 (STGO No. 08 of 2025), which stays in force. The new order covers fibre in loose, opened and other non-bale forms: cotton, polyester, viscose, wool and acrylic. That closes the gap through which fibre could be fed into production without passing a camera.

Where the cameras must go

• Hopper bale openers and hopper feeders where loose fibre is fed by hand
• Weighing hopper feeders and blending feeders that mix natural and man-made fibre
• Blow room lines for man-made fibre (polyester, viscose) and acrylic processing lines
• Waste openers and recycling lines for soft waste, comber noil and card flat strips
• Mixing and laydown areas where loose fibre is stacked or mixed

What the video systems must do

FBR-authorised vendors under Chapter XIV BA of the Sales Tax Rules, 2006, must connect video analytics to the new cameras. The systems have to:

1. Detect, count and measure fibre fed into production in real time.
2. Send the data live to the FBR's Central Control Unit.
3. Store and archive footage and data.
4. Flag unexpected production stoppages.
5. Support analysis for legal action where needed.

The order was issued under Section 40C(2) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, and Rules 150ZQR and 150ZQT of the Sales Tax Rules, 2006.

What it means for mills

The FBR uses electronic monitoring to match what a factory produces with the sales tax it declares. Spinning mills have under three weeks to arrange cameras and vendor integration. The industry is already under strain: exporters warned this month of a sharp slump in orders (our report). To work out sales tax on a sale price, use our sales tax calculator.