Kenya suspends new inspection fees for imports, exports amid stakeholder concerns

KENYA – The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) has announced a suspension of its newly proposed fees for physical tests, examination, and inspection of imports and exports until March 2025, following significant opposition from the business community.

The decision, which impacts the fees that were set to come into effect on December 1, 2024, comes after consultations with various stakeholders, including traders, port operators, and industry representatives.

Theophilus Mutui, Kephis Managing Director, confirmed the suspension during a meeting with stakeholders, explaining that the charges will undergo a downward revision before implementation.

Prof. Mutui stated that the suspension was necessary to allow for further consultations and to incorporate suggestions raised by the business community.

This marks the second time Kephis has postponed the implementation of the inspection fees, which were initially scheduled to take effect in July 2024.

Following stakeholder feedback, the fees were pushed to December, but now the timeline has been extended again, with the pilot phase set for March 2025.

The business community and other stakeholders have given their suggestions on how best to implement the regulations,” Prof. Mutui explained.

After the meeting, we agreed to have more time to incorporate some suggestions drawn from the meeting before implementing it on a pilot basis starting March 1, 2025,” he added.

The decision to introduce the new charges has met with resistance from many traders, particularly in the cereal milling sector, who argue that the additional costs would raise the price of doing business.

Nassib Mubarak, a representative from the Cereal Millers Association, expressed concern that while the need for pest control and inspection services was acknowledged, the introduction of cleaning charges and additional services would inflate operational costs and disrupt the efficiency of port operations.

We have no objection to Kephis carrying out its mandate to protect the country from pests and insects in grains and other goods. However, the added cleaning charges and services will increase costs and compromise port efficiency,” Mubarak stated.

Shippers Council of Eastern Africa CEO Agayo Ogambi also weighed in, urging the government to allocate more funds to agencies responsible for clearing cargo rather than relying on charges. Ogambi warned that introducing such fees could set a precedent for other port agencies to impose similar charges, further driving up costs.

Every agency has been asked to generate its own revenues, but some services do not warrant charges. The government has the resources to fund these activities,” Ogambi said. “If this is implemented, it could lead to additional charges by over 30 other agencies at the port.”

The proposed fees were set to significantly increase the cost of clearing cargo at Kenya’s ports. For instance, the cost of obtaining a phytosanitary certificate for a 40-foot container of exports was slated to rise from US$11.8 to US$90.5. This would have positioned Kenya as one of the most expensive routes for import and export in the region, surpassing Tanzania, which charges about US$17 for the same service.

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