Parliamentary committee urges fast tracking of cargo clearance – KBC

The National Assembly Trade and Industry committee Chairman Kanini Kega has called on shipping agencies and container freight stations to fast track clearance of cargo detained at their premises and ensure prompt release as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking during a tour at the Focus Container Freight Station in Changamwe, Mombasa County, Kanini reiterated that out of the 449 containers held at various CFSs in Mombasa since August 2018 only 27 have been released.

Even after the directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta to release cargo detained at different container freight stations and at Embakasi ICD, clearance is moving at a snail’s space.

The committee members accompanied by customs officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya bureau of Standards in a tour at the Focus container Freight Station challenged the private owned firms to introduce a minimal fee that will facilitate fast tracking of the clearance of detained cargo that are already cleared by Kenya Revenue Authority KRA and Kenya Bureau of Standards KEBS state agencies.

The chairman said that out of the 449 containers held at various CFSs in Mombasa since August 2018 only 27 have been released since president issued the May 27 waiver.

The parliamentarian also said the government will soon embark on a fresh vetting process to consolidating agents involved with importation of consolidated goods to goods imported are allowed in the country.

He said only 12 containers that are subject to Investigations by the directorate of Criminal Investigations DCI will continue to be detained for allegedly importing questionable products. Another 37 others have not been claimed.

Kenya Revenue Authority Chief operations manager Abdi Malik said most of the goods held at the container freight stations had been cleared by state agencies and called on those who have detained containers to come forward and claim them.

The Chairman reiterated that in the next two weeks the issue should be put to rest and allows traders do business.