Kountable, a global trade and technology platform, has formed strategic partnerships with customs agencies in both Rwanda and Kenya.
This provides Kountable with a dedicated group of customs experts to assist in the timely processing and payment for imported goods in the region in addition to providing last-mile logistics so that goods can remain insured in that final stretch of the trade.
“The more parties we have who validate and participate in a transaction,” said Kountable CEO Chris Hale, “the more trust and transparency we bring to the network. We have gone through an extensive process to select these partners based on their professionalism and strength of their experience.”
Selected by an in-depth interview process and the recommendations of the Rwanda Revenue Authority’s (RRA’s) Risk Management Office and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA’s) Commissioner, Customs and Excise Services Department, these custom agencies are certified, vetted and found to be reputable.
The program delivers the following capabilities: timely provision of tax declaration drafts, clearing and forwarding proforma invoices, payment of duties and clearing services on behalf of the Kountable network, continuous local expertise on customs laws and regulations.
In addition to accessing last mile providers and collateral security, other benefits in the partnership include: faster processing, better access to ports where the Kountable network delivers goods, assurance that the correct taxes and duties are paid, and increased awareness of up-to-date local policy changes.
Kountable has a growing network of institutional partners that leverage the platform and expertise to access these fast-growing markets and this program adds greater capability, transparency and real-time information to the data streams consumed by Kountable’s global partners.
Kountable focuses on aggregating the demand side in trade by partnering with high-quality entrepreneur owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), bringing access to world-class goods to underserved markets and accelerating progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
Kountable is making this possible by building a data acquisition, normalization, and scoring platform that measures the behaviors of the best trades and their traders in these emerging markets. Kountable’s marketplace connects these local entrepreneurs with multinational suppliers and top-quality goods that are then delivered to end payers such as governments, NGOs or corporations looking to complete large scale projects. Kountable, based in San Francisco, launched in Rwanda in 2015 and now has offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and the US.
