Importers of ‘old’ cars allowed to re-export them

By PATRICK BEJA

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has allowed importers of vehicles above the stipulated eight years to re-export them instead of them being crushed.

The impounded vehicles have been stored at various container freight stations in Mombasa and recently there were reports that they would be crushed for flouting Kenya’s safety and import regulations.

Following these threats by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), some importers went to court to block the planned destruction while others sought permission to re-export them.

While Kebs has allowed re-exporting, it has urged the Association of Importers of Motor Vehicles (AIMV), whose members have reportedly imported some 3,000 vehicles aged more than eight years, to seek clearance with other government agencies such as KRA before doing anything.

GREAT RELIEF

Peter Mambembe, AIMV national chairman termed the move as a relief to the membership.

 “The 3,000 used vehicles are worth about Sh900 million. This would be a great loss for our members if they end up being crushed by the State,” Mambembe said.

In the clearance letter dated March 24 this year, Kebs Coast regional manager Vincent Cheruiyot  told AIMV the agency does not object to its re-exportation request as provided in the regulations under the Standards Act chapter 496.

“However, the permission granted to re-export does not exempt you from meeting obligations to other government agencies,” Cheruiyot said.

Mambembe said his association  would now work closely with KRA to amend the shipping manifests to facilitate the re-export of the vehicles. He said the vehicles may be exported to Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan where they are allowed on the roads.

ANOTHER STALEMATE

Another group, Car Importers Association of Kenya (CIAK) has also reported having about 2,000 used imported vehicles worth more than Sh1 billion blocked because of being over eight years old.

National chairman Peter Otieno said the vehicles were blocked after the ships carrying them docked into the country later than expected.

The fleet is said to have been inspected in Japan in November but arrived in Mombasa early this month and was declared time barred leading to protests by importers who want the government to intervene.

Otieno  argues that since the vehicles were inspected and cleared by Kebs’ agents in Japan, voyage logistics which delayed their arrival in Mombasa should not be used to penalise importers.

In a letter to Kebs, Otieno said that a ship carrying many of the vehicles left Japan on December 1 last year and was expected to arrive in Mombasa on December 25, but did not make it owing to voyage logistics.

Officials from Kebs and CIAK held a meeting in Nairobi to try resolve the matter but made no progress.