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{
    "id": 431183,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/431183/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 24,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Two, on the issue of whether the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS) approves this importation, yes, to some extent, there is approval by KSB. However, excess and illegal sugar importations are not authorized by KSB. The auction is undertaken within the law and, subsequently, those imports are allowed to enter into the market. Three, what is the Government doing to stop illegal trade? To ensure there is no illegal importation of sugar, the Government has put in place the following measures:- (a) Enhancing the surveillance and investigation activities across the country, including the establishment of permanent inter-agency enforcement units on sugar trade to increase scrutiny on the cross border trade and setting up of border patrols to stop sugar smuggling. Consultations between Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Public Health, Kenya Sugar Board (KSB), the Police and Kenya Revenue Authority are at an advanced stage with the formal working framework targeted for the eradication of the same. (b) A 100 per cent verification of sugar imports through our formal entry points to net sugar entries into the market, which is concealed as other low value commodities such as rice, pasta or fertilizers. Those measures have been put in place. (c) Millers shift to direct sales to retail outlets on terms that will benefit flow-out to all players along the value chain, including consumers. This will help break existing sugar cartels. (d) Strengthening of laws governing the regulations of sugar imports and exports to provide for higher accountability standards for the re-packaged sugar and for deterrent penalties of offenders. The new regulations will demand proper labeling for the purpose of traceability, upstream and downstream the value chain. (e) Sugar being classified as restricted import under the East African Custom Management Act and illegal sugar be prohibited and destroyed and owners/agents prosecuted as opposed to the present administrative corrective measures such as imposition of penalties and collection of taxes for the sugar being impounded. That illegal sugar is released to the importers or allowed back to the market by way of persisting public auctions by KRA. That should stop forthwith. (f) Prosecution of offenders. (g) Seizure and destruction of impounded sugar consignment and the blacklisting of offenders. (h) The intensive due-diligence of all applicants and up-scaled quality checks on the documents. Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker."
}