On 19^th January 2022, KEPSA held a virtual engagement with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to discuss trade facilitation challenges facing businesses while accessing services provided by the bureau. The engagement, which was Chaired by the KEBS Managing Director, Lt. Col. (Rtd) Bernard Njiraini and Co-Chaired by the KEPSA Industrialization and Trade Sector Board Chair, Ms. Susan Maingi, discussed issues on Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme, unprecedented changes on market standards and regulations, and discriminatory inspection of raw materials for some distributors in the plastic.

The KEBS team included Dr. Geoffrey Muriira – Director Quality Assurance and Inspection, Mrs. Esther Ngari – Director Standards Development and Trade and Managers in charge of Trade facilitation, and Inspection. Present from the KEPSA side included Mr. Manoj Shah – Vice-Chair of Trade and Industrialization Sector Board, Mr. Victor Ogalo – Deputy CECO, Competitiveness and Operations, among other members.

KEPSA members reported challenges on the PVOC programme that required them to conduct PVoC for every shipment imported costing them about 230 – 570 USD; the shorter period of expiry of PVoC certificate i.e. 3 months and the additional cost as a result of inspections leading to delays to supply of the raw materials making products uncompetitive. On regulations and standards, members had expressed concern on arbitrary changes of standards and regulations with very short notice of transition to the new standards or regulations making it costly for a business to comply and even increasing cases of non-compliance. Concerns on discriminatory inspection related to some goods being subjected to inspection while other same imports from the same origin are not posing an additional cost including inspection delays.

From the engagement, some of these concerns got an immediate resolution and other methods were proposed to ensure fluidity of imports. In general, some of the quick outcomes and updates from the dialogue included:

• KEBS committed to reviewing the PVoC expiry period and the extent to a reasonable period. KEBS will update and communicate with stakeholders on the new period
• KEBS has introduced the ‘Product registration’ programme, which ensures a green channel for the registered products and eliminates them. Under this programme, once products are registered, there is no need for PVoC. Products are only subjected to random testing on a case by case basis
• KEBS will conduct sensitization sessions to members on the ‘Product registration’ programme
• KEBS has waived pre-shipment inspection for premium products, thus no need for pre-shipment inspection for such products
• KEBS has adopted the destination inspection and reduced the inspection fee from 15% to 5% for those without pre-shipment inspection
• KEBS has earmarked two centres for destination inspection to facilitate the inspection
• On Standards and regulations change, KEBS will adhere to at least 6 months grace period for transition from the old to the new/revised standards or regulation
• KEBS proposal for quarterly engagement with KEPSA to ensure an enhanced spirit of partnership and speedy resolutions for any pending and emerging issues