Importers face greater costs on new inspection fees

Local importers including manufacturers and distributors face greater costs as the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) begins registering low risk imported products.

The standards body says all registered products will now be the subject to destination inspection at the expense of the importer.

The scope of goods covered in the new directive premised on a December legal notice 212 touches on all products subject to quality standardization by KEBS.

Importers with goods eligible to the new registration are required to pay the registration fee at the rate of Ksh.7,500 per product or group of products covered by a standard.

Meanwhile, the destination inspection fee will be charged at the rate of 0.6 per cent of the approved customs value subject to a minimum Ksh.28,620 ($265) and a maximum Ksh.291,600 ($2,700).

Items categorized as high risk goods will not be subjected to the new registration.

At the same time, KEBS has included a list of products ineligible for registration.

This includes raw animal and fishery products, bulk petroleum products, bulk shipment of cereals, edible cooking oils and fertilizer.

Others are fresh daily and horticulture products, LPG, motorcycle helmets, steel, sugar, tires, second hand goods and products regulated by other government agencies.