The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has asked the government to permit it to issue Certificates of Origin (CO) at the border points.
KNCCI President Richard Ngatia made the appeal on Friday following requests by chamber’s Busia chapter chairman Sylvanus Abungu who said that Busia requires permission to issue COs instead of those concerned travelling to Kisumu and Nairobi in search of the document.
Ngatia made the appeal during the chamber’s Busia Chapter Open Day at the Busia Vocational Training Centre where he disclosed that initially they used to have the mandate to issue COs to spur local and internal trade at points of origin.
“We are requesting the president Uhuru Kenyatta to support the KNCCI and allow it to issue certificates of origin including preferential certificates at all points of entry to spur regional trade,” he said.
A certificate of origin (CO) is a document declaring in which country a commodity or good was manufactured.
The document contains information regarding the product, its destination, and the country of export which is a requirement by many treaty agreements for cross-border trade.
The CO is an important form because it can help determine whether certain goods are eligible for import, or whether goods are subject to duties.
Ngatia also asked traders to take advantage of open days saying they offer great chances for them to gain exposure, network and market for their businesses.
“We are here to look at the possibilities of getting markets across the country and UAE through networking and interaction,” Ngatia said.
Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi asked KNCCI to prevail upon KeNHA to expedite the dualing of the Busia Customs-Korinda road to minimise congestion originating from long-distance trucks in the town.
He lauded the exhibitors for coming out in large numbers noting that there is a need for them to change their production ways to include value addition for better returns on their investments.
“It is high time you woke up and added value to your businesses, “he told the participants.
by Melechezedeck Ejakait/Maureen Kwena
