Effective 2 June 2021, licensed shipping lines and agents operating in Kenya will be mandated to use the Maritime Single Window System (MSW) to electronically prepare and submit vessel pre-arrival and pre-departure declarations to the government agencies at the Port of Mombasa.
The initiative comes as Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) has partnered with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) in the implementation of the Kenya Maritime Single Window (MSW) System as an E-Maritime module of the Kenya TradeNet System to comply with the IMO Convention on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention).
The Agency has been working together with KMA to implement an E-Maritime Module on the Single Window System to allow Shipping Agents in Kenya to electronically submit vessel pre-arrival and pre-departure FAL declarations to government agencies mainly Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), State Department of Immigration, Port Health, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the Kenya Coast Guard Service.
Kenya is among the 120 member states that have ratified the FAL Convention. The FAL Convention recommends the use of the “Single Window” concept in which the agencies and authorities involved exchange data via a single point of contact.
The Convention’s main objectives are to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, to aid co-operation between Governments, and to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other procedures. In particular, the Convention reduces the number of declarations which can be required by public authorities.
Now in Kenya, at least 12 FAL forms have been automated on the maritime single window for submission for approval by the relevant Government Agencies.
