Economy

MPs question Kebs capacity to inspect imported cars

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Charles Ongwae, the Kenya Bureau of Standards managing director. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA

Parliament last week questioned the capacity of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to inspect imported vehicles from Japan after the standards body admitted it may not have inspected luxury cars impounded for non-payment of duty.

The Public Investments Committee (PIC) put Kebs managing director Charles Ongwae to task to explain how the vehicles, which the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has impounded, passed through the ports without the standards body’s approval.

The committee chaired by Eldas MP Adan Keynan asked Mr Ongwae to explain why the more than 121 vehicles the KRA is seeking for tax evasion escaped Kebs’ watch.

The committee said Kebs is the body mandated to ensure international standards on imports are adhered to and no cargo can leave the port of Mombasa without its authority.

“Kebs are in a position to get every document of import even if it is a needle, they must give a certificate before any cargo, including cars leave the port,” Manyatta MP Muchiri Nyagah said.

The interrogation followed Mr Ongwae’s admission that Kebs intervention lacked and the vehicles were not inspected.

“It is true there are vehicles that were imported which did not pay duty and we are investigating whether there was intervention by our agents in Japan or elsewhere,” Mr Ongwae said.

“Information that we have is that there was no Kebs intervention and that the vehicles may have not been inspected.”

Mr Ongwae also conceded that Kebs has no local capacity to inspect vehicles for emissions apart from relying on its Japan agent.

“We have no local capacity. It will be in the interest of Japanese government to inspect vehicles for radiation before it gets out of its ports,” he said.