KenTrade has opened a one-month free training window to enable importers, exporters and clearing agents use the upgraded TradeNetSystem.
“The virtual training is scheduled to take place between March15-April 16,” KenTrade Chief Executive Officer Amos Wangora tweeted. Users will be required to register for the training online.
In February 2020, KenTrade conducted a detailed GAP analysis exercise with key stakeholders and received input which was used in the upgrading work.
The agency commenced the User Acceptance Testing in September last year, which is still ongoing.
“We will be requesting you to submit your request or register for the training which will mainly focus on the submission of permits,” Wangora told industry stakeholders in a recent virtual meeting, adding that the transition from the old system to the upgraded system will be a seamless process with minimum disruptions and once completed the system will provide a much better experience for users.
It will take approximately 18 months to finalize on the Upgrade. The upgrade will address the challenges of delays in document processing, lack of a 2-factor user authentication mechanism and address the problem of the limited document security features.
Other challenges the system has experienced in the past and which the upgraded system seeks to cure are limited visibility of information to users due to lack of dashboards and few standard reports and cumbersome user registration process delaying registration process.
The upgraded system will also focus on Master Data harmonization with Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) with increased ability to add more integration, make user administration easy and reduce the high total cost of ownership
Kenya TradeNet System has been operating since October 31, 2013 when it officially went live. It has registered over 12,500 system users and 35 PGA, with 5 of them completely integrated and others in progress.
Crimson Logic of Singapore is upgrading the TradeNet System. The government collects over US$22.19 million through the system per year with the majority of Government agencies recording double digit growth in revenue year in year on.
Crimson Logic developed the software and has been assisting in running it but according to Wangora, the process of enhancing local capacity is also ongoing to reduce overreliance on software developers.
“The new system will utilize current technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Block chain,” Wangora said in an earlier interview.
