This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
Kenya's government has temporarily relaxed its rules on importing medicines, giving a three-month waiver on Pre Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) requirements.
According to Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) managing director Bernard Njiraini, the waiver is not a blanket exemption, but rather a temporary measure to allow the industry to streamline import and conformity assessment procedures.
Mr Njiraini explained that the waiver was issued after consultation with stakeholders from the industry, who had raised logistical issues with the PVoC programme.
"Yes, we have given them a waiver for three months as we iron out the logistical issues that the importers raised about the PVoC programme," he said in a phone interview with Nation.
The waiver comes weeks after pharmaceutical distributors complained about new regulations that require pre-export inspection and a PVoC certificate for all goods coming to Kenya.
Pharmaceutical firms had threatened to increase the cost of medicines by 40 to 60 percent if the President failed to rescind the directive on the new rules.
Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) will require medicines coming into the country to be tested before importation, with a pre-inspection cost of USD $265 (Sh27,000).
However, the suspension of PVoC requirements for medicines will allow approved importers to bring in medicines without extra inspections for the next three months.
