The first berth of the long-awaited Lamu Port is set to be launched and commence operations this Wednesday, 20th May 2021.
Lamu Port project
Lamu Port is a flagship project in the Lamu Port South Sudan and Ethiopia(LAPSSET) Transport Corridor, linking Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
It is set to have a total of 342 berths upon completion. Three berths have so far been constructed.
Kenya Revenue Authority(KRA) is among crucial agencies set up at the port and will facilitate cargo clearance while ensuring compliance with Customs laws.
The Commissioner for Customs & Border Control has gazetted the three berths as Customs Areas and configured essential customs systems-the Integrated Customs Management System(iCMS) and SIMBA to recognize Lamu as a port of entry and exit.
“A multi-agency committee comprising of technical expert teams from the LAPSSET implementation Agencies has been deployed at Lamu Port to ensure joint planning and preparation for the launch and commencement of operations,” said Ms Lillian Nyawanda- Commissioner of Customs & Border Control in her official Twitter account.
The KRA technical team, led by Chief Manager, Marine and Southern Region Enforcement, John Kennedy Bisonga, spearheaded KRA’s level of preparedness ahead of the launch.
Last week, a high-level KRA technical team was on the ground to test the connectivity and performance of Customs systems and other office automation applications.
To mitigate risks associated with the movement of transit cargo, the LAPSSET corridor route has been on-boarded into the Regional Cargo Tracking System(RECTS) to monitor transit cargo into Ethiopia and South Sudan.
“This move has reduced cargo transit time to an average of 3.7 days and eliminated dumping of transit cargo by 97%,” said Ms Nyawanda.
Before she was appointed Commissioner Customs and Border Control in March this year, Ms Lilian Anyango Nyawanda served as the Customs and Excise Manager of Africa Region at the Diageo Centre of Excellence, overseeing the customs governance, risk management and international trade operations.
She started her career in tax at KRA in 2003 as a Revenue Officer (I) after undergoing the Graduate Trainee Program.
She rose to an acting Senior Revenue Officer in charge of gateway clearance sheds and cargo handling at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
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