The Kenya Revenue Authority has rolled out an automated clearing system for cargo called the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS).
The new system was rolled out at the Port of Mombasa on Saturday with the clearing of the first consignment of 43,400.835 metric tonnes of clinker.
The vessel transporting the consignment, MV Ptolomeos, docked at the Port of Mombasa at 6.25 am on Saturday and the clinker was offloaded.
KRA said the consignment was cleared automatically in the system, after the importer’s clearing agent, Express Shipping and Logistics (ESL), logged entries in the system and paid duty of Sh65 million before the arrival of the cargo.
The next bulk consignments to be cleared through iCMS are 42,000 metric tonnes of clinker and 25,540 metric tonnes of coal.
KRA said the former arrived at the Port of Mombasa last Wednesday on board MV Boreas Venture and the latter is expected to arrive on Wednesday next week by MV African Hoeg respectively.
The clinker consignment was cleared while still in the high seas.
The coal importer, Riftcot Limited, has initiated the cargo clearance process by registering an import declaration form (IDF) to have the cargo released through the system.
KRA expects to collect revenue of more than Sh40 million from the consignment.
"Clearance of cargo through the new system is a major milestone for efforts by KRA to expedite customs clearance of cargo and enhance trade facilitation," Commissioner, Customs and Border Control, Kevin Safari.
"iCMS will reduce the cargo dwell time for compliant imports at the Port of Mombasa since the system does not require human intervention at the document processing centre, unlike the Simba system."
iCMS has been implemented in phases.
The clearance module for air cargo went live on May 10, while the roll out for land and sea cargo began on July 7.
