Nairobi waves tariff on Dar's fresh produce

Local -fruits and vegetables farmers have a reason to smile, after Kenya’s government decided to waive import levy on fresh produce from Tanzania.

Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA) said in a statement that Kenya removed a 36/- ($0.024) per kg levy imposed in 2010 on fruits, flowers and vegetables from Tanzania last month.

“We are so grateful to both the Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities for their understanding which made it possible to remove the levy,” the TAHA Executive Director, Ms Jacqueline Mkindi said She said further that the import levy had for a long time affected local farmers in terms of competitiveness and profitability.

“This levy was imposed on produce which go directly to the Kenyan market, but astonishingly, it was applied even to products on transit to overseas markets.”

It is understood that more than 80 per cent of Tanzania’s horticultural produce is exported abroad through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

TAHA Policy and Advocacy Manager, Anthony Chamanga said in 2012, they had engaged the Ministry of East African Cooperation, over the levy, which later engaged their Kenyan counterparts.

After a number of a bilateral ministers’ meeting held on September 2012, Kenya admitted that the levy was a non-tariff-barrier (NTB) and pledged to remove it by 31st December 2012.

Source: The Daily News, reported from Dar es Salaam

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