KRA inaugurates Malaba service centre to boost trade

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has set up a service at Malaba One-Stop-Border Post for faster clearance of good, services.

The authority says the new centre is expected to enhance efficiency at the  border post and in turn increase customs revenue.

Since the establishment of the Malaba OSBP, KRA says revenue has grown by 500pc, from Ksh 962 million in 2012/13 financial year to Ksh 5.28 billion in the last financial year 2023/24.

Additionally, the service centre will integrate all Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) operating at the Malaba OSBP to support seamless information exchange.

“The cooperation among agencies is expected to enhance trade facilitation and ensure seamless information exchange, including accurate operational data that is crucial for preventing cross-border crimes and trade malpractices including smuggling of goods and human trafficking,” said KRA.

According to KRA, Malaba border post is responsible for clearance of an estimated 80pc of transit goods to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Currently, goods are cleared within a day of arrival, while the facility screens and clears an average of 1,000 travellers on a daily basis. The average time for traveller clearance has been reduced significantly, from two hours to just five minutes,” the authority added.

A recent survey by the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and TradeMark Africa revealed that the time required to clear goods at the OSBP has drastically decreased by 76pc, far exceeding the TradeMark Africa’s target of 30pc.