The Kenya Revenue Authority insists the new levies imposed on selected goods at the port of Mombasa are here to stay.

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The taxman said the new charges were adopted by the East Africa Community member states where the revenue agency is the implementing body.

According to kbctv.co.ke, KRA Commissioner of Customs and Border Control Julius Musyoki said the operators are using the new levies as a ploy noting that Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) are protesting the new guidelines that KRA is implementing to curb cheating and illegal trade at the Port of Mombasa.

Some of the new measures include implementation of the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS).

The taxman is projecting less paperwork and faster clearance of transit goods once the new electronic cargo tracking platform is fully rolled out in March 2017.

The new system replaces the current Simba 2014 platform which was upgraded last year from the original Simba platform that had been in use since 2005.

KIFWA had challenged the new charges saying they would affect jobs in the sector.