Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the millers and grain importers or risk losing their import licenses.
Linturi held a consultative meeting at Kilimo House with millers and grain importers who were granted duty waiver licenses by the government to import maize flour and rice.
He issued the ultimatum to the millers and grain importers holding duty-free licenses to show proof of trade documents to ascertain that they have begun importing the commodities or risk their licenses being revoked.
“No maize and rice will be imported after August 2023 when the duty waiver permits expire,” the CS said.
The government granted millers and grain importers a duty waiver of 1.4 MT of maize and 1.1 MT of Rice in December 2022 to lower maize flour and rice prices.
The CS noted underperformance by the millers and grain importers in the importation of maize and rice since less than 10 per cent of the commodities have been imported after they were granted import duty waiver by the government in December 2022.