Kenyan officials accused of frustrating traders

KENYA Bureau of Standards’ (KEBS) officials at Namanga One-Stop-Border Post are on the spot over their alleged inconveniences to Tanzanian traders who export products to the neighbouring country.

The officials are reportedly frustrating traders seeking to export goods to Kenya through undue bureaucracies.

Speaking at Namanga border over the weekend, Longido District Commissioner Frank Mwaisumbe claimed that the officials were taking longer time in clearing goods for export, much to the frustrations of the businessmen using the OSBP.

“Numerously, I have had concerns from some traders from the apparent dragging of feet by some KEBS officials, goods that should have been cleared within a day, could take between three and five days,” said the DC.

He challenged Tanzanian Bureau of Standards (TBS) to engage their Kenyan counterparts in getting rid of the bureaucracies in the process of clearing goods at the border.

The DC emphasised that the border post was established to hasten clearance and processing of passengers and cargo and not to derail the process.

“The essence of this border post was to facilitate business and not to hinder business among the two countries,” he explained.

Acting Documentation and ICT Manager Jabir Saleh Abdi assured the DC that the bureau will liaise with their Kenyan counterparts to address the situation. Mr Abdi urged businessmen using the border post to comply with standard regulations.

Thanks to establishment of the OSBP, Mr Abdi revealed that TBS had controlled smuggling of counterfeit products into the country.

“The situation was out of control before the establishment of the OSBP, Namanga was notorious for smuggling of substandard goods that were flooding the market,” he added.
 

Source: Daily News