Mombasa — The cost of clearing cargo at the port of Mombasa and of transport along the Northern Corridor has gone down by 30% since the implementation of the East African Single Customs Territory (SCT). Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General John Njiraini was recently speaking during a two-day meeting peer review and learning session focused on the SCT. The East African nations are integrating their customs systems to make it possible for the three countries to have a regional bond for goods in transit.

This will substantially cut the costs of handling transit cargo and make it more convenient for importers across the region. Njiraini said, “We want to ensure faster clearance of goods at the first point of entry within East Africa, SCT is being implemented in three phases. beginning with bulk cargo such as fuel, wheat grain and clinker used in cement manufacturing. Phase two handles containerized cargo and motor vehicles while the third phase will handle Intra-regional trade among countries implementing the SCT Tripartite arrangement.

Njiraini said, “These measures are designed to provide a sound platform to refocus Customs and Border Control operations to address security and revenue collection.” Mid last year, the EAC nations agreed to integrate their customs systems to make it possible to have a regional bond for goods in transit. In 2005 the five Partner States set out to establish a Customs Union when they signed the Custom Union Protocol. When the formalities for establishing the CU were completed, a Customs Union came into being which resulted in setting up the Single Customs Territory (SCT). The road to SCT started moe than 12 years when the EAC introduced a common tariff.

Source: All Africa

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