The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

Standard Group Plc HQ Office,
The Standard Group Center,Mombasa Road.
P.O Box 30080-00100,Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone number: 0203222111, 0719012111
Email: [email protected]

NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

KRA introduces new rules for small scale importers

News

By Cyrus Ombati | Dec 12, 2019

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has proposed new rules for importers of consolidated goods to increase tax collection.

The move is also aimed at addressing complaints by some importers who have been using brokers as consolidators in various foreign countries.

A multi-agency team of Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards and Kenya Ports Authority has now made it mandatory for any consolidator to be registered in Kenya.

The consolidator must also have a physical store or office where he or she operates from and be tax compliant.

Keep Reading

KRA says it will upload a list of all registered consolidators and the countries they operate from.

“This is aimed at addressing complaints by some small scale importers who do not know who they are dealing with when it comes to tax issues,” said Commissioner General Githii Mburu.

The rules follow a presidential directive in May that the agencies come up with a formula to address the concerns of small scale importers.

The importers had met President Uhuru Kenyatta and complained that the taxman was holding their goods over tax issues, causing them huge losses.

At the time, 702 containers belonging to the traders were being held at container depots over tax issues. Since then, KRA says it has cleared more than 500 containers and released them to the owners.

Most small scale traders import their goods through consolidation. They use agencies to collect and consolidate their goods before they are shipped to Kenya.

This has proved difficult for KRA to impose taxes on the goods as they belong to different people and forced the taxman to physically inspect the cargo.