Am very vocal about imports and the need for every business to have a level playing field .
How many of you have bought a counterfeit product unknowingly
Counterfeit is a big threat in the third world economies
Well counterfeit creates employment you have seen 100% of hawkers selling you counterfeits on traffic jam without blinking an eye right ?
When you sell counterfeit your business thrives because you are 100% guaranteed your customer will come back to buy similar product within a very short period of time .
Just an example that counterfeit instant shower in your house you have to buy that filament every month right?
Let’s dwell in the ecomies of scale and effect on environment .
When you ship the counterfeit you rob your fellow countrymen their hard earn cash I have never met any Kenyan who buy a fake product knowingly BUT we like bargaining our thirst for cheap prices has brought us to this level since goverment had weak regulation the counterfeiters saw rich loophole and they cashed in
When you ship in counterfeit you deny the goverment taxes and levies mostly this goods are undervalued at the expense of the genuine ones .
Counterfeits have a crazy effect on destroying our environment and even subjecting consumers to health risk for example when you buy fake laminate or vinyl flooring because the price was right did you know you also bought in CANCER in your house ?
Have you sat down and thought why we have high cancer cases unlike the last 20 years ?
NOW your Goverment since 2015 began a task to protect you The consumer .
2015 a program by the name PVOC (
Pre-Export Verification of Conformity) for Exports to Kenya was introduced and adopted into a law .
As usual this law was not effected until 2018 when things became crazy …
Let me update you how imports used to happen before PVOC was introduced .
A business person would fly out to let’s say Dubai , china, USA and buy products to sell to kenya .
It was very easy just buy your products fake or genuine thats was not a concern to goverment .
Book a container put your products into the container and ship to kenya .
When goods land to Kenya’s get a clearing agent , fake your invoice bribe kebs clear and pay kra taxes
With PVOC all that changed and this where the counterfeiters are crying loudly claiming goverment has killed their their businesses … I hear some calling them Thurakus etc .
As a business person whether small or big whether in Nyamakima , Kariokor , Mombasa road , industry area , Kijabe Street , Chinese , Indian , American , JUBILEE , CORD or whatever we have a law to follow and it’s not selective.
Small business people who do importation Sheria lazima ifuatwe . Law has to be followed .
Legal Notice 127 was enacted last year April .
It’s states before you ship your goods to kenya a Kenyan goverment appointed PVOC Agent must inspect them before your load them into that container .
Now here is the catch counterfeits product cannot pass this test but this is kenya traders became clever they would hide this product among other stuff when consolidating containers and even bribe a PVOc agent and give fake packing list and invoices now goverment became aware of that and said all Consolidated containers must be 100% Verified Mwaga chini Yote tuhesabu one by one .
At one point some PVOC agents were banned by Kenya goverment .
Kina Ongwae the KEBS Chief were arrested … case still in the courts .
“China Certification and Inspections Group Company (CCIC) and Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS) of Switzerland were suspended for failure to inspect goods before they were allowed into the country.
They were also accused of failing to seal inspected containers, which Kenya says was done to facilitate entry of sub-standard and illicit goods.”
The law is an arse it’s has affected both genuine and None gunuine business with crazy delays at the ports .
It’s the price us business people are paying for allowing greed among our selves and importing fakes … the goverment doesn’t care it’s all about effecting the law protecting its citizen !
Second hand Vehicles importers complied long time ago all second vehicles imported to kenya are inspected first and certificate issued before that vehicle depart country of origin .
As usual the none genuine are crying out loud !
Chinese businesses that operated in hidden Godowns in industry area have closed and gone back to their countries leave alone Nyamakima closing shops its ugly out here guys !
My advice to all businesses it’s a painful transition just like Michuki laws unfortunately beneficiary of this Businesses will close down am not advocating loss of income or employment but let’s be honest with our selves why can’t you follow the Law and have your goods inspected before shipping I know it’s a tedious process but soon or later it wil be smooth but things can never be the same .
SGR was built purposely to end the games that were played at CFS’s in mombasa this CFS’s privately owned were contefeits heaven , tax evasion etc , containers would even physically disappears with help of kra and kebs official hii Ni kenya .
Now majority of containers must be cleared at ICD .
We wanted so badly to have SGR reach lake Victoria so that we can have UGANDA products go directly without touching our roads some Uganda goods end up in kenya through Magendo so SGR reaching lake Victoria was a game changer .
After Sea imports crackdown is now on air shipment via notorious ELDORET and JKIA .
Disclaimer
Am not Uhuruto goverment advocate
But let’s appreciate good policy not everything is bad !
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