The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) have said the lifting of strict conditions by the government that outlaw importation of uninspected goods will affect the gains that have been made in blocking substandard and fake products into Kenya.
KAM chief executive Phyllis Wakiaga says the high taxes that manufacturers are being forced to pay to the government this year as a result of higher sales will be lost should the new rules be implemented. “Importation of prohibited goods by unscrupulous traders breeds corruption, increases complexity of clearance notwithstanding inadequate local inspection capacity,” she said
Outgoing trade cabinet secretary Peter Munya last week sanctioned the re-introduction of destination inspection as per the legal notice 183 of December 5, 2019 and reduced the value of non-conformity penalty on importation of uninspected goods from 20 pc to 5pc of the value of goods.
KAM says Mr Munya’s move exposes locally made goods to unfair competition from substandard and fake goods while giving unscrupulous business people the go ahead to dump poor quality goods in Kenya.
KAM also add that if goods are not pre-inspected at source, clearance times will be hurt since the port will be clogged with uninspected goods that are held awaiting inspection and valuation.
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