The second Tax Stamp Forum will take place June 14-15, 2010 in Latvia. It follows the event held in February in Budapest, Hungary, the first of its kind for this specific sector, which attracted 170 delegates from 100 organisations and 33 countries, including representatives from government excise and customs agencies, liquor and cigarette manufacturers and suppliers of authentication and serialisation technologies. The second Tax Stamp Forum will take place June 14-15, 2010 in Latvia. It follows the event held in February in Budapest, Hungary, the first of its kind for this specific sector, which attracted 170 delegates from 100 organisations and 33 countries, including representatives from government excise and customs agencies, liquor and cigarette manufacturers and suppliers of authentication and serialisation technologies. The primary objective of the Forum is to bring these groups together to discuss the latest developments in tax stamp systems and learn from one another about requirements, best practice and potential solutions. This is spelled out in the theme of the event – Effective Programmes for Maximising Revenues. Indeed, a key conclusion of the first Forum was that (in the words of one speaker) ‘the deteriorating global economic environment means maximising recovery of tax revenue is key for governments’. The same will apply equally to the second Forum, the focus of which will be on the development and deployment of technologies and systems that are both providing barriers to counterfeit and contraband and increasing government revenues, as well as the wider socio-economic and regulatory environment that is driving the adoption of tax stamp programmes and catalysing their proliferation around the world. The tax stamp field is a dynamic and continuously evolving one and, even since February, there have been a number of key developments – some of which are reported in this first issue of Tax Stamp News – which, along with others, will undoubtedly find their way onto the agenda for discussion and debate at the next Tax Stamp Forum. Further information on the conference, including details of sponsor opportunities, delegate rates and a Call for Papers, will be made available via www.taxstmpforum.com and also in the next issue of Tax Stamp News.