Outages hit Kebs' phone-based permit verification system
Recurrent glitches in the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) phone-based permit verification system have inconvenienced users even as the agency migrated its services to digital platforms.
Traders said that the USSD-based mobile verification transactions have been hit by recurrent outages, forcing them to turn to a portal on the Kebs website.
“We have had recurrent hitches on the USSD platform which can be frustrating when you need a quick check on the status of a permit,” a trader said.
The standards regulator admitted the challenges with its phone-based verification system and said it would be fixed.
“We are currently developing the integrated conformity assessment information management system (KIMS) as part of KEB’s automation strategy. This system aims to replace paper-based permits with e-permits for manufacturers who qualify for standardisation mark. The e-permits feature a QR code for verification using a QR code reader” Kebs said.
“During this transition, we have experienced occasional issues with verifying permits using the USSD code service. We are working diligently to resolve these problems. In the meantime, the validity of Standardisation Mark Permits can be verified on Kebs' official website” it added.
The KIMS portal which allows importers to apply for clearance of their cargo locally went live on November 30, 2022.
This followed the integration of KIMS with the Kenya Trade Network Agency’s Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) which saw all applications for certification go online.
Import rule
Kenya recently went slow on an import rule that required mandatory inspection of goods at the source, handing a major reprieve to small-scale traders.
The Trade Ministry in 2019 declared that the rule was no longer compulsory and that importers were free to ship goods to be inspected locally “to ease delays and reduce the high cost of doing business”.
The Government had in December 2015, ordered that imported cargo must be inspected at the country of origin and issued with a certificate of inspection.
The ministry ordered Kebs to stop inspecting cargo at entry ports and directed all importers to shift to the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVOC).
This means that all consignments on the PVOC arrive in Kenya after undergoing mandatory inspection at the market of origin by one of the five firms hired by Kebs and stationed in various parts of the world to perform quality checks.
The firms include Cotecna Inspection SA, Bureau Veritas, and Intertek International.
The order to shift to PVOC programme came amid concerns that high volumes of uninspected goods at the port were fueling Customs tax evasion and allowing easy flow of counterfeits into the country. BY DAILY NATION
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