KenTrade Withdraws Online User fees for Clearing Imports

Two weeks after the government introduced new user fees on its electronic single window system, KenTrade has decided to withdraw the charges.

In a Twitter post made on Monday 17^th February 2020, KenTrade announced that it had come to the decision to withdraw the new user fees for the Kenya TradeNet System.

URGENT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND USERS OF THE ELECTRONIC SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM IN KENYA-THE KENYA TRADENET SYSTEM.https://t.co/XkD3InQBEC@SuleimanShahbal @CEO_KenTrade @BaloziYatani @kifwa_kenya @shipperscouncil @kenya_chamber @EABCArusha @AdanMohamedCS

— KenTrade (@KenTrade_G2B) February 17, 2020

“This is to notify all our stakeholders that following consultations, the recently introduced user fees for the National Electronic Single Window (KenyaTradeNet System) Services have been withdrawn,” read the notice.

The user fees, introduced in late January, were in KenTrade’s bid to ensure the sustainability of the Kenya TradeNet System and safeguard the gains realized.

The move was met with a lot of backlash from importers and other stakeholders such as the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) who termed the move inconsiderable.

According to KAM, the new levies would hurt the competitiveness of Kenya-made goods in the free trade area protocol taking effect soon in East Africa.

“Why introduce such charges when our partner States allow their manufacturers to access the respective single window systems for free?” said KAM after the introduction of the user fees.

The new user fees would have seen importers pay a user fee of 5,00 shillings, 750 shillings for a unique consignment reference number and an arrival notification fee per vessel of 7,500 shillings, each of the costs attracting VAT at 16 percent.