A great relief has come to clearing and forwarding firms at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD) after the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) suspended the recently launched container verification charges.
Early last week, workers from the firms downed their tools, accusing the port authorities of imposing a KSh12,099 verification fee on a twenty-foot container, and between KSh16,132 and KSh20,166 for 40-foot containers.
According to the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA), KPA did not issue a public notice in advance, thus terming the fee illegal.
However, suspension of the fees will now allow for consultations, and issuance of a public notice, thirty days prior to implementation.
According to KPA, also, verification is done so as to ensure contraband, mis-declared goods or under-declared goods do not make their way into the country, therefore necessitating container verification charges.
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