The long-awaited single electronic window,will be officially rolled out in Kenya on May 2 by President Uhuru Kenyatta. It will facilitate international and domestic trade at the port of Mombasa, and has been touted as the solution to the persistent delays at the port.

The online cargo clearance system will reduce the time it takes to process goods through Customs at the port by half — from seven days to three days.

At the country’s airports, cargo clearance time will reduce to just one day from the current five days and at borders, cargo clearance is expected to take one hour instead of two days, sponsors of the  $18 million project said.

Kenya Trade Network Agency (Kentrade), which is implementing the project, started trials in October last year for the system that will enable traders access and pay for pre-clearance documents like impending arrival reports, import declaration forms and import/export permits online.

The system can disseminate cargo clearance documentation received from shippers to the relevant authorities via electronic means for relevant approvals and processing. It has the potential to greatly ease trade in the region.

Based on present volume of goods imported and transited through the country, it is estimated that the resulting annual savings to the Kenyan economy during the first three years of its operation will range between $150 million and $250 million.

This will increase to between $300 million and $358 million annually in subsequent years.

Amos Wangora, the general manager at Kentrade says, “The Single Electronic Window will allow parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents at a single entry point. It is expected that the process will end the cumbersome clearing process at the Mombasa port, airport and Kenya’s border points.”

Kenya is the second country in East Africa after Rwanda to roll out the single electronic window system. Kigali launched its automated customs online service in August 2012, aimed at reducing the cost and time of doing business with its East African counterparts.

Uganda on the other hand, has a business licensing portal project whose aim is to ease the cost of doing business in the country. Known as the E-registry, it is now operational and is expected to enable investors to identify and obtain licences online.

In Tanzania, plans are underway to have a national single electronic window.

The Kenyan launch comes shortly after the roll out of a Single Customs Territory (SCT) by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, whose aim is to have tax on incoming goods collected at a single point of entry, in this case the port of Mombasa, and is expected to ease trade within the three countries.

Efforts are underway, spearheaded by the EAC Secretariat, to have a regional electronic single window system. A technical working group has been formed to work on the concept and make it work.

Source: The East African