By Type: News

Authentix® Announces Acquisition of Security Print Solutions Limited

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

 

ADDISON, Texas, April 3, 2019 — Authentix, the authority in authentication and information services, announced that it has acquired Security Print Solutions Limited (“SPS”) through its United Kingdom based entity, Authentix Limited.

United Kingdom based SPS is an industry leader in providing high security print solutions to a broad base of global clientele. The company offers a highly diverse product portfolio including high security tax stamps and a host of security labels and other documents such as patented and multi-layered security technologies it deploys in its solutions. For over 30 years, SPS has been at the forefront of developing new and patented methods, combining innovation in print with new technologies and decades of craft.

“This strategic acquisition expands our portfolio of security technologies to grow our support in tax recovery programs for governments as well as increasing the scope of offerings for our brand protection clients,” stated Kevin McKenna, CEO of Authentix, adding “a key element of our growth plan includes integration of a high security printing operation into our organization and we can’t think of a higher quality candidate than SPS.”

SPS will remain a stand-alone operating entity retaining its respective brands, with a plan to integrate within the Authentix group of companies to grow a collective set of strategic offerings and leverage the sales platform extensively in the markets served.

About Security Print Solutions:

SPS is one of the world’s leading security print solution providers in the revenue recovery and brand protection domain. Originally the business produced tickets for major events and secure cheques. But over the years the business has increasingly focused on custom tailored secure documents (certificates and legal paperwork), brand protection, and tax & revenue protection solutions for governments in MEA.

About Authentix:

As the authority in authentication solutions, Authentix helps customers thrive in supply and distribution chain complexity. Authentix provides advanced authentication solutions for governments, central banks and commercial products, ensuring local economies grow, banknote security remains intact and commercial products have robust market opportunities. The Authentix partnership approach and proven sector expertise inspires proactive innovation, helping customers mitigate risks to promote revenue growth and gain competitive advantage.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in North America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.authentix.com. Authentix® is a registered trademark of Authentix, Inc.

Media Contact:
Sonyett Bailey
Senior Director, Corporate Marketing
sonyett.bailey@authentix.com

Authentix Inc. Selected as 2018 Global Energy Awards Finalist

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

 

Winners to be Recognized at December 6 New York Gala

NEW YORK (October 29, 2018) – Energy companies from 37 countries have been selected as finalists for the S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards. The 2018 finalists were announced by program host S&P Global Platts, the leading global provider of energy and commodities information and spot market benchmarks.

Authentix®, Inc., the authority in Authentication Solutions, is the sole provider of quantitative LPG marking technology in the world. Authentix partnered with Coral Gas Greece, to promise ensure brand protection of its Automotive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) using an the Authentix Assure™ Fuel Authentication and Product Quality Assurance Solution. The solution was nominated under two categories, the Award of Excellence – Downstream and the Commercial Technology of the Year Award. Authentix has been named a finalist in both categories.

Established in 1999 and often described as “the Oscars of the energy industry,” Global Energy Awards highlight corporate and individual innovation, leadership and superior performance in 19 categories that span the entire energy complex.

Coral Gas wished to ensure a complete quality and quantity control of its product at retail stations. wThrough aith the collaboration collaborative partnershipand support of Authentix, we proceeded to bring this to the market- which is a European first and a significant innovation. Authentix Inc. has enabled Coral Gas Greece, to be the only company in the European Union which canto offer this level of assurity to its customers.

Hundreds of energy industry representatives are expected to attend the 2018 Global Energy Awards black-tie dinner gala in New York City on December 6. The awards program will be emceed by CNBC Reporter Jackie DeAngelis.

About Authentix Inc.: As the authority in authentication solutions, Authentix helps customers thrive in supply and distribution chain complexity. We provide advanced authentication solutions for governments, central banks and commercial products, ensuring local economies grow, banknote security remains intact and commercial products have robust market opportunities. Our partnership approach and proven sector expertise inspires proactive innovation, helping customers mitigate risks to promote revenue growth and gain competitive advantage.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in the US, UK, UAE, and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, email: info@authentix.com or visit our website: www.authentix.com

About S&P Global Platts: At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We’re the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping.

S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.platts.com.

Media Contact:
Sonyett Bailey
Corporate Marketing Director, Authentix
Sonyett.Bailey@Authentix.com

Blockchain in the Oil Industry: Insights shared at the UEIL Annual Congress

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

By Dr. Phil Forshee, Senior Principal Scientist, Authentix.

Speaking at the UEIL Annual Congress in Budapest, Hungary on October 25, 2018, I was honored to share my insights in “Building Trust in the Supply Chain – An Introduction to Blockchain.”

Since its introduction in 2008, blockchain has taken the world by storm as the underlying technology for Bitcoin and the exploding cryptocurrency industry. At its core, blockchain is an information technology innovation that will likely change how many systems of record are designed and implemented. By offering immutability and transparency, blockchain can offer significant benefits to enhancing trust across complex business networks.

An application for which blockchain is particularly well suited is supply chain management. Blockchain provides two supply chain elements that are critically important – reliability and integrity. Everyone on the blockchain can see the complete chain of ownership for an asset because all the entities on the chain have the same version of the ledger, providing consensus. Once a record is on the chain it cannot be erased or modified, thereby adding further transparency to the supply chain.

Securing the supply chains of bulk products such as lubricants and refined fuels has its own unique challenges, as bulk products do not lend themselves to using conventional packaging-based security technologies such as 2D barcodes or NFC chips. However, the creation of spectral fingerprints for products (based on molecular spectroscopy) or results from chemical marker analysis can be uploaded to the ledger along with other transactional elements to authenticate the physical product throughout the supply chain.

While blockchain technology by itself does little to address the physical authentication of products, it does create demand for secure technologies to enable authentic physical to digital transformation of a transaction. Verifying the physical end of transactions going into a ledger provides the trusted inputs required to exploit the promise blockchains can provide to a multi-stakeholder supply chain.

Republic of Zambia seeing significant return on investment after beginning to enforce its fuel authentication program.

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

In recent years, the government of Zambia became aware they had a problem with illegal fuel dumping and/or adulteration. In fact, Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board (ERB) estimated that these activities were depriving the government of 81 million dollars USD per year in fuel tax revenue. To determine what fuel products were being manipulated, and where in the country the illicit activities were most rampant, the ERB implemented an ongoing fuel authentication program.

In February of this year, fuel from all government depots and certain national-oil-company depots intended for the Zambian domestic market were marked with a small quantity of a biochemical substance that acts as an identifiable “fingerprint” for the fuel. With more than six months of significant data from this authentication program, the ERB is initiating enforcement actions.

Baseline sampling and testing of Zambia’s fuel supply chain have answered the “what and where” questions about fuel manipulation that had previously eluded the ERB. They reveal that 1) there is a high incidence of tax avoidance through dilution of domestic fuel with unmarked products and/or kerosene; and 2) fuel manipulation is most prevalent along the country’s North/South transit corridor.

Based on these findings, the ERB has undertaken targeted enforcement actions. But they are also conducting continuous, impromptu sampling and testing of fuel at all filling stations, bulk fuel storage facilities, fuel tankers, and retail facilities for domestic consumption. The consumers of this fuel include mining and allied industries, construction, transport and logistics, general commerce, and the agricultural sector.

In addition, those who are suspected of conducting illegal fuel manipulation activities have been warned that the ERB working with Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), and the Zambia Police (ZP) are dealing firmly with fuel manipulators.

If an entity is found in possession of, selling, distributing, and/or transporting non-conforming petroleum products, ERB enforcement actions and penalties include license suspension or revocation, and the imposition of considerable fines and/or imprisonment (once convicted) for a period not exceeding two years.

The ERB and other cooperating government agencies are all enthusiastically undertaking appropriate enforcement actions to end fuel manipulation in Zambia. The ERB is optimistic that the effectiveness of the fuel authentication program will help ensure that fuel quality is guaranteed, and that maximum tax revenue can be realized from fuel sales in Zambia.

The impressive progress of the Zambian fuel authentication program is yet another example that fuel authentication programs such as theirs demonstrate a return on investment that is well-documented and compelling.

In addition, they provide other associated benefits—not the least of which is that they can help
governments ensure authentic products are sold in-country to benefit law abiding citizens – not criminals. Fuel marking solutions enable governments to collect more excise taxes without raising taxes for the benefit of citizens and legitimate industries

Board Names Kevin McKenna as Next CEO

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

ADDISON, Texas, May 24, 2018 – Authentix® announced today that Kevin McKenna will become its next President and Chief Executive Officer effective May 29, 2018. Kevin succeeds Bernard C. Bailey who will continue to serve Authentix as Chairman of the Board. McKenna joined the Company’s executive team in 2012 and has served in various capacities touching all Authentix markets as President of Oil and Gas as well as General Manager of the Brand and Currency and Tax Stamp businesses. He most recently served as the Chief Sales and Services Officer responsible for global sales and all customer engagements. He has been a key contributor to the successful growth and subsequent sale of Authentix to Blue Water Energy, a London-based private equity firm, in September 2017.
“For more than 20 years, Authentix has provided advanced solutions to combat illicit trade across the globe. It is a great honor to now lead Authentix in the next phase of our growth as we look to advance our world-class authentication solutions into new markets and next generation technologies,” said Kevin McKenna. “We have an exceptionally talented team at Authentix that is focused on unlocking future growth opportunities while being committed to our existing customers’ success. I am incredibly optimistic about our future.”

Prior to Authentix, McKenna held executive management roles within the information technology and security industries at HID Global and L-1 Identity Solutions. He began his career with IBM Global Services, serving in a variety of consulting and program management positions.

Bailey commented, “Kevin’s breadth of experience, coupled with his deep understanding of our global customers and markets make him a superb choice for leading Authentix moving forward. His vision, strategic insights and execution track record are exactly what Authentix needs as we enter into our next chapter, which I am confident will be even more impactful and exciting than our last.”

After earning his undergraduate degree in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, McKenna served as an officer in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot. He also holds an advanced degree in engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla.
“I am honored to lead Authentix as CEO and advance our growth strategy into new geographic markets, market sectors, and next generation technologies,” said Kevin McKenna. “I would like to thank the board of directors, Blue Water Energy, and the Authentix employees for their confidence and trust. We have an exceptionally talented team at Authentix that is focused on unlocking future growth opportunities and committed to our customers’ success. I am incredibly optimistic about our future.”

About Authentix:
Authentix, a leading global authentication and information services company, assists customers in combating illicit trade and managing the integrity of their global supply chains. With comprehensive end-to-end authentication solutions we help safeguard customers in refined fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel, lubes, and LPG) and branded products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and spirits industries) from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, and adulteration. In addition, we help protect currencies for many leading central banks.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in the US, UK, UAE, and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.authentix.com

Authentix® Selected by Zambia as Technology & Services Partner to Combat Illicit Fuels

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

ADDISON, Texas, Feb. 12, 2018 — Authentix, a leading global authentication and information services company, announces The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) of Zambia has selected, after a public procurement tender process, Authentix as its technology and services partner to combat the illicit trade of refined fuels. The program is scheduled to commence February 15, 2018.

The Authentix covert fuel marking program will support the Zambian government’s fuel integrity program and the government’s commitment to ensure a clean and high quality fuel supply to support local commerce. Illicit fuels smuggled into the country or fuel adulterated with inferior products, do not meet the ERB’s high quality standards for fuels and may also include harmful substances that can pose a threat to public health and the environment.

In addition to the positive environmental and societal impact, the Authentix fuel marking program will return positive economic results. “In our experience operating nine fuel marking programs across Africa, the return-on-investment measured by recovered excise taxes far outweighs the operational costs of the program,” stated Kevin McKenna, Chief Sales and Services Officer, Authentix, Inc. “In twenty years of designing and operating covert fuel marking programs, we estimate to have recovered over USD 1 billion to governments.”

Authentix assisted the ERB in assessing the current supply chain, designing a program to meet their goals –including enforcement, and selecting from Authentix portfolio of covert chemical markers and analyzers, to deliver the most effective program tailored to Zambia’s unique needs.

To learn more about Authentix’s fuel supply integrity offering, visit http://www.authentix.com/offerings/vigilant/.

About Authentix:
Authentix assists customers in combating illicit trade and managing the integrity of their global supply chains. With comprehensive end-to-end authentication solutions we help safeguard customers in refined fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel, lubes, and LPG) and branded products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and spirits industries) from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, and adulteration. In addition, we help protect currencies for many leading central banks.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in the US, UK, UAE, and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.authentix.com.

Frost & Sullivan Awards Authentix with the Authentication Solutions Technology Leadership Award

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

By: Mohamed Lazzouni, COO, Authentix

Remember as kids the excitement you felt upon receiving a blue ribbon or trophy from sports or an art or science project? Your parents would post it on the refrigerator and tell everyone how proud they are of you. That’s how I felt upon learning that the prestigious Frost & Sullivan research firm presented Authentix with the North American Authentication Solutions Technology Leadership Award. In that excitement, I immediately recognized that the award itself takes on a different meaning.

For more than 20 years, Authentix has proudly supported a global customer base in combating illicit trade and counterfeit practices. Frost & Sullivan is diligent in their research to identify those companies exemplifying best practices in the development and delivery of technology. The technology leadership award recognizes the transition Authentix is leading toward incorporating more IoT and Big Data analytics within authentication technologies.

According to Frost & Sullivan, “The company’s solutions capitalize on the evolution of Mega Trends such as Internet of Things, Big Data analytics and supply chain integration to thwart counterfeiting measures. This integration enables the company to build and implement robust, end-to-end authentication solutions to help each customer recover lost revenues and protect brand equity.”

Full transparency, it is rewarding to know that the hard work of all Authentixians is front and center for others to witness. Just as relevant is the spotlight being shined on a greater cause – the charge against illicit trade.

The Core of Authentix Comes to Life

Like many organizations, we have our core values that drive how we engage internally and externally. I am most proud of this team because those values come to life with such recognition. This Frost & Sullivan technology award symbolizes validation of our strategy in the authentications market.

All employees seek to focus on the following core values:
Teaming and Collaboration
Advancing Science
Dedication to Client Success
Competing and Winning

This third party validation imparts depth to those value statements that demonstrate more than words on paper. We are laser focused on creating a path where our clients have visibility to their supply chain to efficiently address illicit activity. While the Authentication Solutions Technology Leadership Award speaks to how we are advancing science to create successful outcomes for our clients around the world, I know that this award also demonstrates a group of people who respect and trust each other enough to innovate for a greater good.

Recognition for a Greater Cause

To have Frost & Sullivan acknowledge that Authentix offers leading authentication technology touching across multiple industries is one thing. To also have confirmation that our strategy and execution in the marketplace is meaningful toward a social good is even better.
Oftentimes, this activity is funding organized crime or terrorist groups. In the oil and gas market, we are helping companies fight against fuel smuggling, adulteration or dilution, which can impact the environment and ultimately people’s health. So, this award also confirms that our focus on innovation is contributing to a larger platform that encompasses protection for the health and well-being of the environment and all who inhabit it.

Thank you to Employees and Customers

Yes, our employees carry the brunt of this accomplishment. But, we can’t ignore the greatest collaboration effort with existing customers. Illicit trade is a huge and sometimes dangerous global problem eating away at billions of dollars of lost revenue for many governments and companies. We are very grateful to have a customer voice moving our technology forward because they too recognize a bigger issue.

Every day we enter our doors with the intent to make a difference. We want to make a difference for our customers. We want to make a difference in the lives of our fellow employees. More importantly, we want our solutions to make a difference within the communities around the world.

The North American Authentication Solutions Technology Leadership Award from Frost & Sullivan is one more proof point that our suite of authentication solutions protecting fuel quality for national governments or oil marketing companies, banknotes and commercial brand products is making a difference to stop illicit trade.

Frost & Sullivan Applauds Authentix’s Impressive Authentication Technology Portfolio that Combats Illicit Trade

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

Authentix harnesses the latest technological trends to present market-focused, adaptable authentication solutions for a customer’s specific market

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — July 11, 2017 — Based on its recent analysis of the authentication solutions market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Authentix, Inc. with the 2017 North American Technology Leadership Award. Authentix’s portfolio of advanced authentication solutions supports companies in combating illicit trade and counterfeiting practices. The company’s solutions capitalize on the evolution of Mega Trends such as Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data analytics, and supply chain integration technologies to thwart counterfeiting measures. Authentix employs a lock-and-key approach, wherein physical devices are paired with proprietary chemical markers, creating offerings that deliver robust, data-driven authentication solutions helping customers recover lost revenues and protect brand equity.

Click here to view the multimedia release.

“Authentix seeks to aid customers with their transition to more IoT-based operations by capturing data at each point in the authentication process to ensure that any enforcement actions are based on secure and accurate information. This starts when authentication markers are applied to products and continues when markers are tested for or scanned in the field or at a laboratory as the product moves through a supply chain. The results of these tests and scans aggregate into a single data platform for easy verification,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Danielle VanZandt. “With Authentix’s solutions, customers can monitor their supply chain interactions, identify potential areas of vulnerability, and receive actionable insights, facilitating proactive decision-making to mitigate illicit trade.”

Authentix remains the only end-to-end authentication solution provider for fuel supply protection, combining the devices and covert markers with the Authentix Information System (AXIS®) and comprehensive Authentix services and support. The company also has a robust portfolio of proprietary authentication solutions for major industry verticals:

• Vigilant™: Authentix’s flagship, this authentication solution protects national fuel supplies globally. The solution helps governments and in-country fuel suppliers fight fuel dilution, smuggling, tax evasion, and illicit trade. Vigilant recaptures valuable fuel excise tax revenues for government customers, ensures top fuel quality for citizens and the environment, and creates a level playing field for all participants in a country’s fuel market.

• Jewel™: This solution allows Authentix to partner with global central banks to protect and authenticate banknotes. The Jewel optical markers, read with its high-speed sensor technology, can be easily integrated with any banknote design and deployed on high-speed note sorters to validate the authenticity of individual banknotes. Additionally, Authentix provides implementation services in tandem with banks to ensure a seamless transition.

• Sherlox™: Sherlox is Authentix’s brand protection solution. Validated with a proprietary handheld reader and cloud technology, Sherlox utilizes covert markers to enable in-field authentication instantaneously through smart mobile devices during brand audits.

• Assure™: Assure is the company’s proprietary fuel brand marking solution. Assure helps major, global oil marketing companies provide consumers with the fuel product quality they pay for and to guarantee that specific fuel additive treat rates are accurate.

“With the success of its solutions, Authentix continues to grow within mature markets. Its deep and rich experience and industry knowledge allow it to showcase the value of its authentication solutions and the ways in which they can generate a rapid return on investment,” noted VanZandt. “Leveraging trusted customer relationships and continuously focusing on the customer’s needs will win Authentix significant customer and revenue growth over the long-term.”

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the technology leadership award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies that significantly impact both the functionality and the customer value of the new products and applications. The award lauds the large R&D spend toward innovation, its relevance to the industry, and the positive impact on combatting illicit trade.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Authentix

Authentix, a leading global authentication and information services company, assists customers in combating illicit trade and managing the integrity of their global supply chains. With comprehensive end-to-end authentication solutions, we help safeguard customers in refined fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel, lubes, and LPG) and branded products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and spirits industries) from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, and adulteration. In addition, we help protect currencies for many leading central banks.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in the US, UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.authentix.com.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, collaborates with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Claudia Toscano
P: 210.477.8417
F: 210.348.1003
E: Claudia.Toscao@frost.com

Fuel Quality is on the Rise In Africa

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

The African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARA) held its annual conference in Cape Town, South Africa last week. The meeting’s theme was “Achieving Clean Fuels in Africa”, a topic that has received much attention lately. In September of 2016 in a report released by the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) partner, Public Eye, it was revealed that Swiss commodity trading firms are exploiting lax regulatory standards to sell to African consumers. (1) The long and comprehensive report documents the way certain traders take advantage of fuel standards in Africa that allow for high contents of sulfur that would not meet modern environmental regulations in Europe and other developed markets. The results are poor air quality in many African cities that have far less fuel consumption than major European metropolitan areas.

The report was not without its critics, including the Ghanaian National Petroleum Authority (NPA). (2) The now former CEO of the NPA, Moses Asaga said much of the criticism of the African authority was borne out of a lack of understanding of the authority’s responsibilities. While the report highlighted that many African nations, including Ghana, have sulfur standards that range as high as 300 times the levels in Europe and the United States, it did not comment on the costs associated with bringing nations into compliance with lower standards. For example, the NPA estimates that it would cost Ghana about 300 million US dollars to bring infrastructure into compliance to produce low sulfur diesels. These types of policy decisions therefore are not solely up to petroleum agencies like the NPA, but have economic impacts that go far beyond the operating budgets of such agencies.

And there is good reason to believe the NPA and other agencies do take their fuel quality seriously. For the past 4 years, the NPA has run a comprehensive fuel marking program aimed at ensuring stations are providing good quality fuel to consumers. (3) A side benefit of this program has been the reduction of subsidy abuse of kerosene and marine diesel, as well as tax evasion of on-road diesel and petrol by dilution. The program is working with technology provided by Authentix, with an estimated savings to the Ghanaian government of over $11 million, while ensuring the nations fuel supply is of high quality having minimal environmental impact.

This is a great example of how governments can effectively reduce fuel fraud and minimize subsidy abuse by adopting programs to improve the quality of the fuel supply chain. Effective fuel fraud prevention programs are designed and put in place to reveal the quality and condition of the supply chain. Often, merely shedding light on the various stages that make up the supply chain will improve the flow of fuel in the country by deterring fraudulent activities that thrive in the shadows. Ensuring integrity of the fuel supply chain also ensures minimal environmental impact by keeping fuels up to specification at the retail pump.

The most successful fuel marking programs involve a number of best practices which are adjusted and modified to meet the unique requirements of each country via an interactive program design phase followed by full implementation and operation. Regular program reviews and audits ensure the program is meeting or exceeding its stated objectives and return on investment (ROI). By stopping illicit trade of fuels through monitoring retail outlets for diverted subsidized fuels or diluted fuels, environmental impact of automobiles is kept to a minimum.

And that is why the focus of the ARA annual meeting was so promising. Ultimately, further raising environmental conditions in many Africa nations will require investment in the infrastructure of the fuel refining industry to produce low sulfur fuels. That investment will come from investors when they have confidence in a strong independent regulatory function in these countries that ensure the investments made in low sulfur diesel infrastructure will pay returns. With the good governance shown by agencies such as Ghana’s NPA, as new regulations are adopted, investors should feel good that there are strong independent agencies already in place to enforce and maintain these new standards.

1. https://www.publiceye.ch/fileadmin/files/documents/2016_DirtyDiesel_A-Public-Eye-Investigation_final.pdf
2. http://citibusinessnews.com/index.php/2016/09/17/acep-displayed-ignorance-in-dirty-diesel-report-moses-asaga/
3. http://www.imaniafrica.org/2016/04/21/imani-africa-report-prevent-fuel-fraud-africa/

Authentix Announces Jewel Accredited & Certified Partners for Banknote Security and Authentication

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Author: Andree Bourgeois

ADDISON, Texas, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Authentix®, a leading global authentication and information services company, is pleased to announce that five currency industry organizations have completed the Jewel Certification program. Jewel Certification enables industry suppliers to become more familiar with the design and incorporation of Jewel into the banknote. As part of the process Authentix transfers best practices in the handling, use and quality checks of the feature. Support for a trial to demonstrate incorporation into the ink, varnish, substrate, or finished banknote is also provided.

Jewel is a complete Level Three security platform involving proprietary materials, QC equipment, and specialized sensors to be used by the Central Bank for confirming the presence and correct response of the feature. Jewel is characterized by its high security, durability and ease of incorporation via a wide range of implementation options. Jewel is in use by several leading Central Banks and has been developed in response to the Central Bank’s need to dis-aggregate their supply chain in order to have more options as they strive for highly secure and cost effective currency designs.

“Central Banks increasingly want choice and to build best of breed solutions to stay ahead of counterfeiting threats,” says Tim Driscoll, General Manager of Authentix’s Currency & Tax Stamp Business. “Authentix has partnered with six of the most respected names in banknote substrates, inks, design and printing. Central Banks are assured of continuity and choice when selecting Authentix Jewel.”

Accredited and certified partners include respected names in banknote security such as Landqart AG, PNO Global, Royal Joh. Enschedé and Arjowiggins Security. Authentix will continue to grow the partner program in both size and offerings.

Although Authentix will support all industry suppliers in meeting a Central Bank’s specification for the incorporation of Jewel, Certified partners are uniquely positioned to support the Central Bank’s needs with established competency in print trials and marketing the offering.

About Authentix:
Authentix, a leading global authentication and information services company, assists customers in combating illicit trade and managing the integrity of their global supply chains. With comprehensive end-to-end authentication solutions we help protect currencies for many leading central banks as well as help safeguard customers in refined fuels (e.g. gasoline, diesel, lubes, and LPG) and branded products (e.g. pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and spirits industries) from counterfeiting, product theft, product diversion, and adulteration.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas USA, Authentix, Inc. has offices in the US, UK, UAE, and Africa serving clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.authentix.com/offerings/jewel/

 

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