New manual to help in war against fakes
What you need to know:
- “Those found guilty face penalties of up to Sh1 million,” the CJ said and called on locals to collaborate with the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Revenue Authority and the police to curb trade in counterfeits, which is rampant along the national borders.
- Mr Mutunga said it would act as a quick reference point for all the participants in the justice chain for the effective administration of justice in cases related to illicit trade.
Stung by a Sh50 billion annual revenue loss due to trade in counterfeit products, the government has launched a manual with guidelines on dealing with the illicit trade and the penalties.
Currently on a tour of western Kenya, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Wednesday unveiled, the Enforcement Manual to Combat Illicit Trade in Kenya, which mainly targets the country’s border counties.
He called on regional traders to engage only in legal deals because the government loses a lot of money in tax revenues from illicit trade every year.
Mr Mutunga said the Kenya Association of Manufacturers had suffered a Sh30 billion annual loss, thanks to the counterfeits.
PENALTIES
“Those found guilty face penalties of up to Sh1 million,” the CJ said and called on locals to collaborate with the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Revenue Authority and the police to curb trade in counterfeits, which is rampant along the national borders.
The manual is published by the National Council for the Administration of Justice.
Mr Mutunga said it would act as a quick reference point for all the participants in the justice chain for the effective administration of justice in cases related to illicit trade.
“This manual will assist investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers to deal with and curb fakes in the country,” Mr Mutunga said.
Use of the manual, he added, would also help foster inter-agency collaboration among the enforcement agencies and consolidate their efforts to curb the illegal trade.
