EPZA said it was seeking fully developed vacant warehouses in Athi River, Eldoret, Kiambu, Kisumu, Machakos, Mombasa, Mtwapa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri, Thika or Voi for 30-year leases.
In a notice published in the dailies, the EPZA said the facilities will be adopted as EPZ facilities and leased out to investors keen on launching processing facilities for export-bound goods.
Public and private entities with idle warehouses in 10 counties could reap handsomely after the government expressed interest in leasing them for export-bound goods manufacturers.
Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) said it was seeking fully developed vacant warehouses in Athi River, Eldoret, Kiambu, Kisumu, Machakos, Mombasa, Mtwapa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri, Thika or Voi for 30-year leases.
In a notice published in the dailies, the EPZA said the facilities will be adopted as EPZ facilities and leased out to investors keen on launching processing facilities for export-bound goods.
“The warehouses should be connected to a three-phase industrial electricity supply, a mains water supply, a wastewater line and the lettable spaces should be 300,000 square feet or more, while its internal and external access roads should be paved,” it said adding the facilities should be located within two kilometres of a densely populated area.
In its 2016 annual report, the EPZA said limited availability of industrial space adversely affected planned expansion of existing apparel factories noting that 50 companies were unable to expand as they had exhausted available space.
The EPZA’s invitation is informed by increasing interest among prospective export-bound firms intending to process locally produced raw materials from coffee, tea, horticultural produce among others, thereby generating jobs and higher returns for local farmers.
In 2016, the export processing zones accounted for 17.44 per cent of job opportunities in the manufacturing sector.
The EPZA then said finished goods worth Sh36 billion were exported to the US, with garments contributing Sh34 billion, Europe Sh7 billion, while East African Community (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Sudan earned Kenyan-based EPZs Sh2 billion.
Asia raked in Sh10.8 billion and Common Market for East and Southern Africa Sh2.2 billion.
EPZ firms enjoy a 100 per cent investment deduction, 10-year corporate income tax holiday, a 25 per cent tax rate for a further 10 years, a decade of tax holiday on profits repatriated abroad while raw material, machinery, office equipment, certain petroleum fuel for boilers and generators and building materials are tax exempt.
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