- The duration of time to release goods has dropped to an average of 51.43 hours from 112.6 hours in 2021/2022.
- KRA said the increased adoption of Pre-Arrival Cargo Processing, saw its uptake grow from 25.28 per cent in Financial Year 2021/2022 to 40.55 per cent
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The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has recorded a 54 per cent reduction in the time taken to release goods from ports.
The Authority said the reduction of time taken to release goods from the Port of Mombasa, Inland Container Depots, and Kenya Railways Corporation Sheds has been achieved in the last three years.
The duration of time to release goods has dropped to an average of 51.43 hours from 112.6 hours in 2021/2022.
The duration has reduced from slightly above two days compared to the previous duration of slightly above four days.
KRA said the increased adoption of Pre-Arrival Cargo Processing, saw its uptake grow from 25.28 per cent in Financial Year 2021-22 to 40.55 per cent
"Enhanced systems capabilities of the Customs Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) allow for the declaration of customs entries using the bill of lading as the base document, enabling processing to commence even before the cargo arrives," KRA said in a statement.
KRA said that all goods arriving at the port should be inspected at the port of origin to strengthen risk management.
This will be done through the issuance of a Pre-Export Certificate of Conformity by licensed inspectors appointed by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
The KRA’s integration with KenTrade’s Trade Facilitation Platform has been instrumental in streamlining the customs clearance process.
Seamless sharing of critical information, such as import declarations and supporting documents, among Partner Government Agencies (PGAs), has facilitated the issuance of licenses and permits.
This has been done with reduced human interaction, eliminating the need for unnecessary office visits by importers and customs clearing agents.
This integration, KRA said, has significantly enhanced the efficiency of KRA's service delivery.
"The efficiency-enhancing measures effected by KRA resulted in a 4.9 per cent increase in customs revenue to Sh791.368 billion during the 2023-24 financial year, compared to the same period in FY 2022-23," the statement reads.
"KRA’s customs revenue collections comprised revenues from oil taxes, which grew by 10.3 per cent to stand at Sh300.77 billion, and non-oil taxes, which stood at Sh490.6 billion."
The Authority reported that its Customs Department realised an 11.7 per cent rise in import values, being the value of goods specified in the schedule as ascertained from the original invoice.
This includes the charges paid or payable for insurance, excise duty, freight charges, and all other charges incidentally levied on the purchase of such goods.
KRA added that despite the rise in overall import values, oil and non-oil tax performance were in part affected by growth in exemptions and remissions, which grew by 23.8 per cent.
This was driven by special exemptions accorded to some food commodities to mitigate against adverse effects of drought and reduce the cost of living.