Mombasa port to reduce free storage days

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Gichiri Ndua (left). KPA is facing congestion crisis and has issued a notice to shipping lines and agents to limit empty export containers to 500 units per vessel. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

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  • “At the moment, it is sad that 85 per cent of all cargo through Mombasa port is imports while only 15 per cent is exports. Out of the total imports, 63 per cent is Kenyan designed cargo,” he said.

The port of Mombasa will reduce the period which importers and exporters store their merchandise at the port for free on improved cargo clearance.

The Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Mr Gichiri Ndua announced the move saying saying storage time will drop from 9 to 5 having dropped from 15 earlier.

KPA said the 24 hour management system has also helped to improve efficiency.

“Due to successive operational improvement, efficiency and facilitation at the port of Mombasa, we have been able to reduce the free cargo storage time within the port from 15 days earlier to nine and now we are considering reducing it further to five," Mr Ndua said adding that there are plans to reduce this days to 3.

The MD said time taken to transport goods from the port to Malaba border had also tremendously reduced from nine days to an average of 4.8 days.

Mr Ndua was addressing members of the east African Legislative Assembly (EALA) who were touring the facility. He challenged east African member states to take advantage of the improved efficiency to export more goods through the port.

“At the moment, it is sad that 85 per cent of all cargo through Mombasa port is imports while only 15 per cent is exports. Out of the total imports, 63 per cent is Kenyan designed cargo,” he said.

Mr Ndua hailed the commissioning of the Standard Gauge Railway by President Uhuru Kenyatta in August 2013 saying it will revolutionize trade in the region.

He urged member states to pay their taxes promptly to enable the port meet its obligations to serve its clients better.