KENYA – KENTRADE

KENTRADE Kenya Trade Network Agency

 

Historique

The Kenyan Government recognizes the importance of international trade as a powerful vehicle for wealth and employment creation. However, the current clearing system for cargo at various border points faces a number of problems that comprise Kenya’s ability to maximize on the benefits accruing from international trade. Currently, documentation procedures associated with international trade in Kenya are largely manual, resource intensive and expensive. In addition, traders have to deal separately with a multiple of government agencies that have no electronic systems.

The prevailing inefficiency of trade documentation processes creates perennial problems of delays in clearance of goods at the Kenyan ports on the trading community, the result of which is high transaction costs. At the moment, the average logistics in Kenya is significant averaging around 35 per cent of the cost of insurance and freight (CIF) value of the imported goods. This element continues to be a major factor in international trade and global competitiveness of Kenya.

Establishment of KenTrade
The Government of Kenya established Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) in 2011 as a State Corporation as an independent corporate entity to establish, operationalize and management the National Electronic Single Window System dubbed the Kenya TradeNet System and to address the above challenges and to facilitate trade.

Services

Trade facilitation

To enable the stakeholder access our services trade facilitation centers are being set up in all major Kenya borders. The centers will be equipped with competent and qualified staff who will handle all trade facilitation issues.

Customer Care and Contact Center

KenTrade has set up an active customer care and contact center at its Nairobi offices from which all issues relating to customers are managed enquiries, issues and are managed. The customer care and contact center is being managed by well trained, vibrant and competent staff who offer real-time support to customers via following platforms:

• Online- Chat
• Telephone-dedicated lines for mobile phone users and landline users
• Emails– contactcentre@kentrade.go.ke
• Social media; Twitter @KenTrade_G2B and Facebook/KenTradeG2B

Training
KenTrade considers training to stakeholders as critical to successful implementation of the Kenya TradeNet System. A training section has been set up to monitor the trainings needs of the stakeholders. The System training is a continuous process and aims at helping the stakeholders to familiarize with the usage, develop the knowledge that will prepare them on how to use the System. Trainings are organized in all major border posts in the country.

Presentation

The implementation of Single Window System in Kenya officially known as the Kenya TradeNet System commenced in 2012. The System will facilitate trade by expediting and simplifying information flows between traders and Government in order to bring meaningful gains to all the parties involved in the cross border trade.

Objective of Kenya TradeNet System

The overall objective is to facilitate International trade in Kenya by reducing delays and lowering costs associated with clearance of goods at the Kenyan borders, while maintaining the requisite controls and collection of levies, fees, duties and taxes, where applicable, on imports or exports.

The specific objective is to reduce cargo dwell time at the Port of Mombasa to a maximum three (3) days and a maximum of one (1) day at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport over a period of 1 year after operationalization. At the border posts the Kenya TradeNet System is expected to reduce the cargo dwell time for both transit and intra-regional trade consignments to a maximum of one (1) hour.

Kenya TradeNet System implementation Status

The Kenya TradeNet System went Live on October 31, 2013 at 2359 hrs and commenced Roll- Out of the various modules. Due to the cross-cutting nature and size of the System transactions and also borrowing from experiences in the implementation and roll-out out of Single Window Systems in other countries the Joint Stakeholder’s Technical Team opted for a Soft-Launch approach in form of a Phased Roll-Out of various modules after System Go- Live as opposed to the ‘Big-bang’ approach. The modules were rolled out in 3 Phases: Phase 1A, 1B and Phase 2.

A fully operational Kenya TradeNet System will entail implementation of 20 Modules and key functionalities. Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) Creation which is a World Customs Concept that enables all documents related to a particular consignment are tied together using a unique number for ease of reference and tracking/audit trays, Dynamic Risk Management which enables Dynamic Risk management for efficient risk management, Permit module which allows for electronic application for trade related permits and licences to Government agencies, the Declaration Module that enables lodgement of Declarations to Customs for processing, Manifest Air module that enables submission of air manifests and Impending Arrival Report (IAR) module that allows Shipping and Airline Agents to provide notice of arrival for marine vessels and Cargo flights. By March 2015, 17 modules and their functionalities out 20 modules had been successfully implemented.

Kenya TradeNet System will also integrate with the National Payments System through an electronic payment gateway system to facilitate an end-to-end electronic solution to trade logistics in Kenya. The System is accessible nation-wide on a 24hrs 7 days a week basis to facilitate faster flow of goods across Kenya’s borders.

Official launch of Kenya TradeNet System

The Kenya TradeNet System was officially launched on May 2, 2014 in Nairobi by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the invitation of President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. The launch was also witnessed by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Prime Minister of Tanzania HE Mizengo Pinda 2nd Vice President of the Republic of Burundi HE Gervais Rufyikiri. The Kenya TradeNet System is a Vision 2030 Flagship Project under the Economic Pillar, which seeks to help Kenya achieve a sustainable.