“The system is composed of fingerprint scanners stationed at the check-out counters, which will keep track of how much each individual is buying, blocking customers from making over-large or over-frequent purchases. It comes in the latest wave of reforms launched by president Nicolas Maduro to eradicate scarcity and speculation. The measure will only be directed at 23 basic products, among them milk, flour, and beef, which are the most common objects of smuggling. If a customer is not purchasing one of these listed items, they need not scan their fingerprint. It is estimated that 40% of Venezuelan products are smuggled illegally out of the country to be sold for a profit. Internally, the system will avoid the schemes of street vendors, known as buhoneros, who hoard basic items to be re-sold for hugely inflated prices when they grow scarce. In Maracaibo, supermarket owners have reported to local media that since the system’s installation products which used to be swept off the shelves in a manner of hours are lasting over four days. Furthermore, in border areas, the biometric system will replace the previous method of taking down each customer’s identification number, which would cause checkout lines to move more slowly. Smuggling mafias would easily steal people’s ID numbers to bypass this previous system.”
— Venezuelan Biometric System Sees Positive Results amid Opposition Boycott | venezuelanalysis.com