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Kebs warns owners of 110 vehicles to collect them ahead of taxman’s deadline

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Anyone with a 2010 models must clear before our (Kebs) deadline lapses. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Owners of 110 motor vehicles manufactured in 2010 held at the port for non-payment of duty have until December 31 to clear them or risk seizure over the mandatory eight-year entry rule.

Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) managing director Charles Ongwae said while Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had given a January 17 deadline for checking out uncleared vehicles, the 2018 two-week grace period did not apply to the 2010 models that will be older than eight years.

Kenya does not allow importation of vehicles more than eight years, normally sent back to port of origin.

“We work in tandem with KRA and we are in agreement that 2010 models will not be allowed registration after December 31. Anyone with a 2010 models must clear before our (Kebs) deadline lapses. That also applies to importers,” he said on telephone.

Mr Ongwae spoke days after KRA notified individuals and motor vehicle dealers who imported 163 motor vehicles held at the Mombasa Port for non-payment that they risked being auctioned on January 17, next year.

READ: KCB set to auction 119 defaulters’ vehicles

The customs notice read, “notice is given that unless the mentioned goods under the custody of the Customs Warehouse Keeper, Kilindini are entered and removed within the next thirty (30) days, will be sold by public auction on January 17, 2018.”

The notice also mentioned several individual Kenyan, Ugandan and DRC Congo based importers. Makes mostly affected are the Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Daf Trucks, Mercedes Benz VW Toureg, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru models.

United Nations Organisations’ Stabilisation Mission in the DRC(Monusco) based at Entebbe Uganda has also risks losing 10 newly procured vehicles among them six new Iveco Fassi Gru cars, new Iveco Mottola (two) and two new Iveco Moro Kaiser.