Kenya and South Sudan revenue authorities have launched a campaign to tame the flow of smuggled goods into their territories in a bid to reduce tax evasion.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) said on Thursday they had entered into an agreement to support each other’s customs services.

Their memorandum of understanding says they will cooperate on mutual administrative assistance in custom matters, but will also include tracking of contraband goods and supporting each other’s capabilities to be more efficient in customs services.

KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga, his South Sudanese counterpart Africano Mande Gedima and SSRA board chairman Stephen Dau said they had agreed to monitor more than 1.5 million tonnes traded annually between the two countries.

The MoU comes two months after the SSRA ordered all cargo destined for the country to be tagged with an electronic cargo tracking note.

The tags, South Sudan argued, would provide authorities with quick and clear details of the cargo being moved, its value and destination, hence helping to prevent diversion.

In a notice issued on August 13 this year, South Sudan Commissioner for Corporate Services, Dr Daniel Kon Ater, informed all stakeholders in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania of the tagging requirement.

Since then, all cargo has been required to be tagged by SSRA customs officers in collaboration with Kenyan, Ugandan and regional customs enforcement officers.

The tags were in addition to those offered by the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking (RECT) system, which often cost $350 per consignment.

Traders protested and went to court to challenge what they saw as an extra charge. But the court declined to stop the new policy.

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