Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina, has said that negotiations between Kenya and Pakistan government’ in April this year yielded the removal of the Attestation Fee of tea export documents from Kenya to Pakistan.
She said the partnership will see trade flourish between the two countries.
Ms Maina said the trade issue was under discussion during the Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference, Bilateral Political Consultations held at the level of Principal/Foreign Secretaries, early this year and the First Meeting of the Joint Trade Commission.
The CS reiterated the government’s commitment to increase and sustain trade and investment as well as diversify the products being traded between the two countries.
“The Pakistan High Commission in Kenya initiated this process and I am glad to inform Kenyan traders, that the Attestation Fee for the tea export documents has officially been removed,” said Maina.
The CS who was speaking, yesterday, during a press briefings on the removal of Attestation Fee of tea export documents by the Pakistan government at the State of Department of Trade offices at Teleposta Towers in Nairobi said the total trade between the two countries has grown steadily over the years from USD 283 million in 2008 to USD 705 million in 2020.
She said in 2020, the value of Kenyan imports from Pakistan was approximately USD 199 million while Kenyan exports to Pakistan were valued at about USD 506 million, and noted that the figures indicate that trade between the two countries is highly in favour of Kenya.
The Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms. Saqlain Syedah, announced that Pakistan has formally removed the Attestation Fee of tea export documents, which was 0.5 per cent of the entire export volume for the tea exporters from Kenya.
“This is a major achievement in light of Pakistan government engaging Africa Policy and in establishing ease of doing trade regime between the two countries and East Africa,” she said.
The removal of Non-Tariff Barrier will open a new era for Kenya tea exporters and Pakistan tea importers.
By Hamdi Mohamud
