This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
July 15, 2019
Traders from the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed frustration with the port of Mombasa, citing the presence of brokers posing as officials of the state freight firm Office Congolaise de Gestion du Fret Maritime (Ogefrem) who demand taxes that are not remitted.
These brokers, who claim to be revenue officers from Kinshasa, collect duty on behalf of the country but when the goods reach their destination in the DRC, they are charged duty again. The traders claim that the taxes collected in Mombasa are not remitted to the taxman.
Businessman Kambale Mukokoma blamed the cartel for the extra cost of doing business, stating, 'A group of people posing as representatives of Ogefrem are frustrating Congolese businessmen, that is why some of the traders have opted to use Dar es Salam port where there are no such brokers.'
Mr. Mukokoma added, 'The Congolese have no problem with the government agencies at the port but with brokers who want to extort money from us.'
The Kenya Revenue Authority has denied any knowledge of the existence of these brokers, with Deputy Commissioner for the Southern Region Nicholas Kinoti stating, 'The traders should have lodged an official complaint with us, so that we can arrest them.'
However, Mr. Mukokoma claims that Tanzania has eliminated similar brokers from the tax collection chain, stating, 'The Tanzanian government collects only what is theirs at the port so the cargo is properly charged when it enters DRC. But what we are experiencing at the Mombasa port at the hands of the brokers is killing our business.'
Jomvu Member of Parliament Badi Twalib has promised to raise the matter with the government to prevent activity that can scare away investors.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third biggest user of Mombasa port, importing refined petroleum, poultry products, machinery, and packed medicaments.
