State to auction 205 containers of uncollected cargo

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The Inland Container Deport in Embakasi, 205 containers of uncollected cargo are set to be auctioned at the depot next month. PHOTO: MICHAEL MBUGUA

Mombasa, KENYA: Two state authorities are set to auction 205 containers of uncollected cargo if the owners do not collect them in 30 days.

The two state authorities, Kenya Ports Authority, and the Kenya Revenue Authority made the announcement on Friday.

According to a notice seen by Baraka FM, all interested buyers would be allowed to view the goods on 15th and 16th of November.

“Notice is given that unless the under-mentioned goods are entered and removed from the Customs Warehouse within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice, they will be sold” Reads the notice by the KRA chief manager Susan Wanjohi.

According to the notice, the cargo is lying at the Internal container Depot in Embakasi and most of it has stayed at the facility for more than two months with some cargo having stayed at the facility for as long as 9 months.

A free storage period of 4 days is usually offered for all cargo at the facility after which owners are required to pay sh 20,000 for 20 foot and sh 30,000 for 40-foot containers that remain uncollected at the facility after the expiry of the free storage period.

However, the facility has been grappling with a backlog of uncollected cargo which prompted the Kenya Ports Authority to reduce the number of free storage days from 11 to 4 in April.

Last month, cargo trains were kept waiting at the facility due to lack of offloading space resulting in delays.

Late last month, in a bid to encourage importers to collect their overstayed cargo, the two authorities announced a14 day waiver period on storage charges and warehouse rent charges for the overstayed cargo.

“KPA will waive all storage charges accrued on long stay cargo that will have been cleared with effect from today. Similarly, KRA will waive customs warehouse rent on all long stay cargo that will have been cleared within this period both at the port and the ICDN.” The two authorities said in a statement.

A total of 7 SGR freight trains ferry approximately 800 containers of cargo from the port of Mombasa to the facility every day.

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