New cargo inspection rule to curb tax evasion

Traders who import different products by pooling them into a single consignment have 16 days to register with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).

This is after the development of a new procedure known as Route D by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kebs.

The new procedure will affect a wide range of products imported as consolidated cargo by several small individual importers.

The new directive will affect goods brought into the country by both sea and air. In what is aimed at curbing taxevasion and checking the inflow of sub-standard products into the country, all products imported under “Consolidated Cargo” will be inspected at the country of origin by the standards body under the Pre-Export of Conformity (PVOC) programme.

The PVOC programme was developed in 2015. It requires all imported products to be inspected at the country of origin by the standards body.

Destination port

“Kebs and KRA wish to notify all importers and general public that a new procedure (“Route D”) has been developed for inspection and certification of Consolidated Cargo under the Pre-Export of Conformity (PVOC) programme,” said the two agencies in a statement.

“This procedure applies to cargo containing a wide range of products or merchandise generally in small quantities or parcels belonging to several consignees who have pooled or assembled together their parcels to form one consignment.” The consignment may be declared as belonging to one importer at the port of destination or de-consolidated back into the original individual cargo for delivery to the respective owners upon arrival at destination port.

Kebs thus requires all consolidators for both air and sea cargo to register with them to have their goods inspected under the new regulations.

“Application for registration should be received not later than April 20, 2018,” read the statement that was signed by Kebs Managing Director Charles Ongwae and KRA’s Commissioner of Customs and Border Control Julius Musyoki.