Economy

Mombasa tea auction set to go digital this year

mudibo

East African Tea Traders Association managing director Edward Mudibo. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Mombasa tea auction will be automated by the end of the year, bringing to an end the old manual system that has been in use for decades.

East African Tea Traders Association (Eatta) managing director Edward Mudibo said they are currently procuring a software developer, a process expected to come to end by Thursday.

Mr Mudibo said the successful bidder will be awarded the contract by March this year to commence the process of automating the world’s second largest auction.

“Procurement of software developer has started and is coming to an end this week. We expect the works to start in mid-March with the auction expected to be fully automated by December,” said Mr Mudibo.

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Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) approved a grant of Sh150 million to Eatta in 2015 for use in automation.

The e-auction is expected to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the process used in trading of tea in the African region by developing an automated trading platform that will cut down on the time taken to complete a trading cycle.