CARACAS: The Venezuelan government will install 20,000 fingerprint recognition readers to prevent smugglers from purchasing goods in the country at lower prices with the intention of reselling them on the black market.
Previously reported, the Venezuelan government first announced last August it would soon introduce fingerprint scanners at supermarkets in an effort to ration individuals’ food purchases and prevent food smuggling.
In December it was noted that the government had ordered thousands of Suprema BioMini fingerprint solutions, including BioMini Slim, for grocery stores and pharmacies located close to the Colombian border.
“We are going to install 20,000 fingerprint readers throughout the entire socialist system in order to guarantee the people access to foodstuffs,” said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Smugglers have been exploiting government-regulated pricing of essential goods like corn flour by purchasing them in Venezuela and reselling them on the black market or in neighboring Colombia.
The new fingerprint readers, which will curb people from purchasing more products than they are allowed, are expected to drastically decrease the number of products being smuggled.
As a result, Venezuela’s general population will be able to purchase more goods in stores.
Seven private supermarket chains in Venezuela have already signed on to the program, said President Maduro.
The fingerprint readers are one of the many measures the government is implementing to prevent the shortages of goods in the country.
