KRA
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced that its
Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) will be unavailable on Saturday
night for at least eight hours.
According to the authority, the iCMS system will unavailable due to a scheduled system maintenance shutdown.
In a statement, KRA said the maintenance will begin at 10 pm on Saturday, January 11, and end at 6 am on Sunday, January 12, 2024.
The iCMS system is central to the processing of documents for both the importation and exportation of goods at various ports across the country.
It was introduced during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term in office.
KRA has apologized for any inconvenience this maintenance may cause.
The taxman insisted that the system plays a critical role in making clearance of cargo seamless.
The system's rollout was aimed at simplifying business operations in Kenya and improve the country's ranking in ease of doing business.
The platform also aimed to strengthen security and regional integration through advanced risk management features and transparency in trade, as it eliminated human intervention.
However, the system’s rollout has not been without its challenges.
Despite its promising capabilities, the iCMS has faced numerous outages, which have had a major impact on the flow of goods in and out of Kenya.
These recent failures have led to calls from stakeholders for KRA to develop a backup cargo management system, one that could serve as an alternative in the event of another iCMS outage.
