Sh 600 million was incurred by Clearing and forwarding agents after traders scaled down their activities at the Port of Mombasa. Photo/the-star.co.ke
Sh 600 million was incurred by Clearing and forwarding agents after traders scaled down their activities at the Port of Mombasa over electoral anxiety.The Seven days of elections were to blame for the losses that were incurred by The Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA), which represents 1,350 clearing and forwarding firms, hindering any cargo movement to various destinations.The port serves Kenya’s industrial hinterland as well as landlocked states in the region.Kifwa chairman William Ojonyo said container freight stations have in the last few days been operating for just a few hours as opposed to the normal 24-hour basis.Ojonyo said “As agents we were ready to resume work last Wednesday, but what has happened after voting day has left us counting losses”.Mr Ojonyo also noted that that importers were incurring additional storage costs because of slow movement of cargo.In addition he saod “The opposition should follow the constitutionally laid down procedures and seek redress in the courts instead of the streets,”.Reduced cargo activities at the ports of Mombasa, the JKIA, as well as Malaba and Namanga border points mean that the taxman will struggle to meet its targets.Slow business at the ports affects revenue collection by the Kenya Revenue Authority.Customs agents play a pivotal role in partnering with the taxman to ensure both border control and tax collection to ensure safe borders and tax collection to spur the government agenda on development.