The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) says no tax revenue was lost as a result of palm oil imports by Louis Dreyfus Company Limited between 2023 and 2024.
While responding to questions by the National Assembly’s Finance Committee regarding the total taxes and fees paid between February 23, 2023 and June 26, 2024 through the importation of palm oil into Kenya, KRA Commissioner General, Humphrey Wattanga said the firm did not import any products directly into the market, adding that taxes on the products it imported were declared by the local and regional companies it sold the products to.
“M/S Louis Dreyfus Company (K) Ltd does not import any products directly into the market but sells to local and regional companies for declaration into home use and/or transit,” said Wattanga.
He further detailed that a total of 546,588.86 Metric Tonnes (MT) of Crude Palm Oil (CPO), Crude Palm Olein (CPOL), Crude Palm Oil Kernel (CPOK), RBD Palm Stearin (RBDPS) and Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) was exported into and through Kenya by Louis Dreyfus Company Asia PTA during the period.
“Of the total quantity imported, 231,450.48 MT was consigned as transit to nine regional importers namely Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd, Mount Meru Soyco Ltd Mukwano Industries (U) Ltd, Bajabeer Industries Ltd, Nile Agro Industries (U), Blue Star Industries, Kayonza Distributors Co. Ltd, Ntanke Bakery Ltd and Tasco Industries Ltd,” he stated.
During the same period, six companies imported 315,138.38MT of the products from M/S Louis Dreyfus Company Asia PTA Ltd. The four companies were Louis Dreyfus Company (K) Ltd, Vipingo Industries Ltd, Acee Ltd, Mazeras Oil Ltd, Edible Oil Products Ltd, and Mvita Oils Ltd.
A total of sixteen vessels laden with the products arrived in the country between March 20, 2023 and May 22, 2024. There were no vessels in February 2023 and June 2024.
“Of the total quantities of the products imported, 163,103.57 MT was consigned to M/S Louis Dreyfus Company (K) Ltd for sale to local companies who later declared the products for home use and paid taxes. A total of Ksh 4,549,936,372 was paid by three companies, namely: Acee Limited, Mazeras Oil Ltd and Vipingo Industries Limited,” he added.
With regard to the process that was followed during the importation of the palm oil products into the country, the KRA Commissioner General affirmed that all procedures were followed to facilitate the clearance of the cargo, adding that KRA is committed to complying with all the laws in place as it executes its mandate of tax administration and trade facilitation.
“Concerning this matter, KRA is satisfied that it has been following all due diligence as outlined in the Customs procedures and tax laws. Based on its assessments, KRA has collected all relevant taxes required, considering factors such as product description, tariff classification, product quantity, product value and country of origin,” Wattanga told MPs.
The KRA Commissioner General further said the Authority has enhanced surveillance at border points and within the market and protected the country from revenue leakage through improved compliance and by guarding the country against organized crime, commercial fraud, smuggling of restricted and prohibited goods (including counterfeit and substandard items), narcotic drugs, and other potential threats.
To strengthen border security, KRA has implemented several strategic initiatives. A dedicated border security unit monitors cargo and human movement to prevent tax evasion and address security threats. The integration of advanced technologies has significantly enhanced KRA’s ability to intercept and address illicit trade and tax evasion.
In collaboration with other agencies at ports of entry, KRA conducts routine customs checks and various inspections, including lab tests and analyses. Results are verified against consignees’ declarations, with relevant revenue collected before clearance is granted.
