By Steve UMIDHA
The Kenya Trade Network Agency– KenTrade’s e-trade platform, the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) now serves over 18,572 users as of June 30, 2023, with an average of 700,000 transactions being processed annually, according to the latest update by the agency.
Launched in August 2021 to handle the exchange of commercial documents and improve users’ experiences, the revolutionary product has also onboarded 39 Partner Government Agencies with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) going LIVE last week.
It follows a recent development by the authority in partnership with creators of the e-Citizen platform to ease the mode of payment of consumers’ trade transactions which have now been integrated with the payment gateway – a digital platform that enables Kenyan citizens, residents, and visitors to access government services online.
“It brings the number to twenty-seven (27) permits issuing and twelve (12) non-permit issuing.
Most recently to ease the mode of payment of your trade transactions we have integrated with the eCitizen payment gateway and you can now also access our trade facilitation services from the platform,” confirmed KenTrade’s Chief Executive David Ngarama.
Ngarama gave the update during the firm’s recent stakeholder engagement forum in Nairobi.
TFP integrates all systems including the Kenya Revenue Authority’s Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) and also serves as a single entry point for any person involved in trade and transport to lodge documents electronically for processing and approval and facilitate the electronic payment for fees and levies.
KenTrade runs the online cargo clearing system (logistics coordination platform) which provides information to all the players on the real-time location of their cargo while in transit.
Further, the authority announced that it had partnered with German–based, GiZ- Global Alliance for the implementation of the Information for Trade in Kenya Portal InfoTrade Portal – an online platform that provides comprehensive, single-point access to the up-to-date step-by-step process of accessing international trade-related services from relevant partner-government agencies in Kenya.
“Implementation of the portal enabled Kenya to comply with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to make trade-related information available and accessible,” said Ngarama.
Noting further that, as of June 30, 2023, the Agency had mapped procedures for 122 commodities on trade regulatory information from government ministries and agencies that have a role to play in international trade, with the process still ongoing.
“So far, the simplification exercise has seen reduction and duplication of steps and documentation as well as cost for Coffee, Tea, Meat & meat products, Flowers, Nuts & Oils, Cotton, Avocado, Fish, leather and minerals.”
The agency is also developing an online marketplace known as Digital Logistics Market Place (DLMP), for trade, connecting businesses and private sector players, thus simplifying trade logistics in partnership with Webb Fontaine.
“It will offer Business – 2 – Business services to traders with seamless search, find, and send capabilities, fostering growth, reliability, and empowerment.
TFP is largely Government to Business and we are venturing into Business to Business to complement the Single Window System,” offered Ngarama.
He also revealed that Kentrade has since co commenced the operationalization of its 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan which seeks to ease the cost of doing business and also help traders to exchange information on various trade organisations and platforms.