Did you know that the government’s Big 4 agenda that the President ties to his legacy has a huge bearing on our trade facilitation mandate? During his Jamhuri Day speech on 12th December 2017, as Kenya marked 54 years of independence, President Kenyatta stated that his administration would focus on food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable healthcare as key pillars in his second term in office. These, he said, were his Big 4 Agenda.
A closer look reveals that the success of the Big 4 Agenda is somehow tied to the KenTrade’s Government To Business (G2B) motto which essentially means making it possible for the Government through our Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce corruption and wastages that raise the cost of doing business in Kenya.
In other words, the President’s Big 4 Agenda highly impacts on KenTrade’s mandate which is cross cutting in the sense that drivers of the housing, manufacturing and health sector will rely on permits, levies, fees and other requirements from regulatory state agencies that are seamlessly linked to our National Electronic Single Window System (TradeNet System)
This is the distinct reality when you consider KenTrade’s role through Kenya TradeNet System whether it is in the import and export dependent manufacturing, the heavily regulated healthcare whose affordability is linked to efficiency in imports clearance by regulators like Pharmacy and Poison Board, the agriculture driven food security involving our PGAs KEPHIS,Dairy Board and AFA Directorate and even the housing whose affordability will largely be impacted upon by, for instance, efficiency and subsequent reduced cost of imports clearance through Kenya TradeNet System by our PGA,Energy Regulatory Agency(ERC).
So, the more efficient our trade facilitation mandate, the more efficient the delivery of the President’s vision, to which KenTrade’s role is really key.
CEO Mr. Amos Wangora(left) welcomes Deputy President H.E Williams Ruto to the KenTrade stand during the KenyaTradeWeek 2018 at KICC grounds Nairobi where he updated him on the Agency’s trade facilitation mandate and efforts towards powering the Big 4 Agenda via www.kenyatradenet.go.ke and www.infotradekenya.go.ke
H.E the DP was with Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya,Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo and CEO Export Promotion Council (EPC) Mr.Peter Biwott and EPC Chairman Mr.Jas Bedi among other officials. He was briefed on the progress that Kenya through KenTrade has made in improving efficiency in the international and cross border trade.