- The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) has announced plans to simplify trade procedures for Avocado and Fish in the current financial year 21/22 to lower administrative burden costs for traders
- KenTrade Director for Trade Facilitation David Ngarama said the move would reduce the time and cost for the two commodities
- Kenya mainly imports frozen tilapia, frozen mackerels, sardines, prawns and salmon, while the country exports frozen Nile perch, tuna, octopus, whole tilapia and lobsters notably to the EU
The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) has announced plans to simplify trade procedures for Avocado and Fish in the current financial year 21/22 to lower administrative burden costs for traders.
Speaking to a Nigerian delegation who visited KenTrade head offices in Nairobi on a benchmarking exercise, KenTrade Director for Trade Facilitation David Ngarama said the move would reduce the time and cost for the two commodities.
Kenya mainly imports frozen tilapia, frozen mackerels, sardines, prawns and salmon, while the country exports frozen Nile perch, tuna, octopus, whole tilapia and lobsters notably to the European Union.
On the other hand, avocado has been a significant contributor to the earnings in the horticulture sector. Last Year, Kenya topped Africa’s avocado exports and was among the world’s top 10 producers. Avocado farmers earned Sh14.48 billion between January to November 2021.
KenTrade is in partnership with GIZ in this simplification exercise.
Other stakeholders involved in the exercise include KEPHIS, Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), Directorate Public Health, Port Health Services, Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), Kenya Fisheries Services, County Directorate of Fisheries, State Department of Trade (NTFC) Kenya Fish Processors and Exporters Association (AFIPEK), Avocado Society of Kenya, Avocado Exporters Association of Kenya.
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KenTrade has mapped out procedures for ninety-five (95) commodities, including all export, import and transit procedures on the trade information portal, dubbed InfoTradeKenya Portal.
“Upon mapping the procedures, the team started simplifying trade procedures in 2018. To date, procedures for export of coffee, tea, meat & meat products, flowers, nuts & oils, and cotton have been simplified, reducing cost and time for a first-time trader, with simplification of avocado and fish ongoing in the current financial year,” he added.
The simplification process has reduced the administrative and cost burden incurred by businesses in the registration procedure from Kes.40,197.35 (USD 402) to Kes.15,287.29 (USD 153), thus saving businesses KSh 24,910.06(USD 250), approximately 62 per cent of the total cost.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment delegation in Nigeria visited KenTrade’s head office in Nairobi to benchmark Kenya’s success with the InfoTradeKenya Portal. They plan to launch their own national trade information portal this month.
The Portal managed and supervised by KenTrade has become an international best practice regarding Trade Facilitation. With more than 130’000 visitors in 2021, the Portal helped many private operators (especially MSME) overcome the hurdles of trade administrative procedures.
The delegation included Abu Ndah Ali, National Coordinator of the Portal, Usman Abdullahi, Assistant Chief Commercial Officer; and Ahmed Zungeru, Principal Trade Officer, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Nigeria.
“Kenya is a big brother in Trade Facilitation, and we would like to learn from their success. We aim to understand how to simplify the trade documentation process to enhance trade prospects in our country,” said Ahmed.
InfoTradeKe development partners include the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), International Trade Centre (ITC) under the umbrella of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC), and USAID.
InfoTradeKenya portal offers information on trade at a touch of a button. Traders can perform all trade procedures with fewer time-consuming interactions. Traders are also empowered with prior information to comply with regulatory requirements for exporting and importing goods.
The Portal is visited by over 10,000 users monthly
Last month, a foreign delegation from Gambia Maritime Administration visited KenTrade head office in Nairobi to benchmark the Single Window System, the TradeNet System, that simplifies trade and approval processes between the international business community and the regulatory permit-issuing state agencies.
The benchmarking visits to KenTrade come when KenTrade celebrates ten years of facilitating Kenya’s global trade. KenTrade is the founder, member, and current President of AAEC.
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