The Kenya Trade Information Portal lists and sequences all procedures that apply to a trade operation
The result of your commodity-specific query in the trade information portal (TIP) leads to a search results page that explains where to start, where to go next, and what will be the final output. The page:
- Lists all the procedures that must be completed so that goods can be cleared through customs.
- Orders the procedures according to the sequence through which they must be completed. For instance, a Certificate of Conformity or a Veterinary certificate may be required before clearing the goods through customs, etc.)
In order to address the full reality faced by the trader wishing to complete a specific trade operation (import/export/transit), the Kenya TIP captures information on four categories of procedures covering both pre-clearance and clearance processes:
- Preliminary/initial registrations: an individual or business often needs to be registered in order to subsequently be able to apply for licenses and permits. This may involve verifications such as warehouse or farm inspections. Usually, registrations only need to be done once by each entity.
- Licenses: several industries are regulated and firms (individual enterprises or corporations) wishing to trade in these industries need to be issued with licenses before they are authorized to do so and obtain the needed permits. In some instances, licenses must be renewed annually;
- Permits: permits are the authorizations that must accompany a consignment before clearance procedures can begin. Examples include phytosanitary or veterinary certificates, certificates of origin, import permits, certificates of compliance, etc. These procedures must be completed for each trade operation or for each consignment;
- Customs clearance and border procedures: these include all procedures that are required for the consignment to be cleared through Customs and pass the border at the exit or entry point. This includes submitting a Customs declaration, applicable border inspections, cargo sealing, etc. As with permits, these may be required for every new trade operation.
Understanding in which categories the procedures fall into is crucial to explain the order with which they must be completed, especially to someone trading a commodity (or service) for the first time.
Describing the procedures step-by-step
For each procedure that appears on the above-mentioned search result page, a clear menu text indicates who must complete the procedure and include clear and concise explanations of its purpose.
Then, for each procedure, the TIP provides a list of the steps needed to complete the procedure. Indeed, procedures are made of one or more steps. A step is defined here as “any necessary interaction between the user and the administration (or a private actor providing a necessary service, such as a notary) to achieve an operation.”
Detailing each step (contacts, requirements, result, etc)
For each step of each procedure, the Kenya TIP indicates:
- The necessary contact information including name of institution, precise addresses, phone numbers, websites, emails, etc (“where to go”)
- The documents required including the downloadable forms and documentary evidence (“what to bring”)
- The costs: precise details on the fees and payments required including means of payment (“how much does it cost and how to pay?”)
- The results to be expected (“what will I get”?)
- Reference to the legal basis justifying all elements of the steps such as the requirements and the fees (“what is the legal basis”?)
- The time frame to complete the step (“how long does it take?”)
- The ways of submitting complaints and recourse (“who to complain to in case of a problem”?)
