Second-hand vehicle importers under their lobby Kenya Auto Bazaar Association are concerned that goods clearance at the port of Mombasa is moving at snail speed even after the taxman assured that the new IT system would be fixed for a freer movement.
Through secretary-general Charles Munyori, the importers who have paid duty will be forced to wait longer than usual because of the hitches in the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) , which was launched in 2016 to replace Simba system.
While every new installation has teething problems, it should not be happening after promises that it would be mended. The Kenya Revenue Authority ought to revisit the issue and correct the prevailing position, especially when congestion at the entry point is a perennial snag.
What’s more, three years should be adequate time to sort out the hiccups associated with newness; and, the fact that the bumpiness is persistent demands a further and more urgent assessment of the whole technology.
Because the iCMS was an improvement to Simba, the KRA must make fixing the system a priority for the taxpayer and the port user to get value for money.
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