Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has finalized its plans to enhance trade facilitation and fast-track cargo clearance at Lamu Port, which will be officially operationalized on Thursday.
KRA Commissioner in charge of Customs and Border Control, Lilian Anyango Nyawanda says the KRA office in Lamu has been equipped with the necessary infrastructure including connectivity to access all the Customs, KENTRADE and Kenya Ports Authority systems.
Lilian says KRA has deployed a team of officers at the Lamu Port to clear the two Maersk shipping line vessels namely Cap-Carmel and Mv Seago Bremerhaven expected to make maiden calls at the new Lamu Port on Thursday 20th May 2021.
The estimated time of arrival (ETA) for Cap-Carmel at the Lamu Port is 0500 hrs, which will thereafter sail to the Port of Salalah in Oman.
On the other hand, MV Seago Bremerhaven is expected to dock the Port of Lamu at 0600 hrs.
She says the two vessels shall be accorded preferential Pre-Arrival Clearance through the new Integrated Customs Management system (iCMS) which is already installed at the Lamu Port.
To facilitate safe evacuation of transit cargo to Ethiopia and South Sudan, Lilian says KRA has completed the geo-fencing of the twin Corridors of the Lamu – Garsen – Witu – Hola – Garrissa – Modika – Modogashe – Isiolo -Moyale and Lamu – Garsen – Witu – Hola – Garissa – Thika – Isiolo – Moyale.
“Similarly, the Authority has geo-fenced Lamu-Mombasa corridor to facilitate trans-shipment cargo. KRA says these corridors are important arteries that will link the Northern Corridor to South Sudan,” says the Commissioner in charge of Customs and Border Control. “A team from KRA’s Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking (RECTS) unit has already been deployed at the Port to ensure that all trucks transporting the cargo through the Port are armed with seals to track and monitor all transit/trans-shipment cargo through the Port of Lamu.”
Lilian adds that a mobile scanner has been deployed at the facility to promote non-intrusive inspection of all the goods being imported through Lamu Port.
KRA has committed to ensure that cargo clearance is undertaken in a swift, efficient and professional in order to reduce the cost of doing business.