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By Monica Muema
Kenya Trade Network Agency, (KenTrade) has invested Sh90 million in a Business Intelligence (BI) Tool as it seeks to collect big data on Kenya’s Import and export trade.
The BI tool is instrumental in facilitating ease of trade in Kenya through extraction and analysis of real time data to help trade facilitators and government agencies make data-driven decisions.
Speaking during the pilot launch of the tool, KenTrade Chief Executive Officer, Amos Wangora, said the move will see the Agency harness relevant data from stakeholders’ systems. This will support better visibility of Mombasa Port, and the Northern Corridor Community Charter for improved decision making and efficiency.
“In the past we have experienced limitations of report generation features on the TradeNet System and there was a need for better reports, and insight gathering especially for cross border trade. We have also seen a need to harness additional relevant data from stakeholder systems for improved decision making and efficiency,” he explained.
The tool, which was co – funded by TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), is set to go live on June 30, 2022. The BI will also help the Agency visualise internal and external strengths and weaknesses, detect opportunities for more innovation, and will be instrumental in the agency’s goal of reducing the cost of doing business in Kenya,” he explained.
During the roll out phases, Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) will each be given a licence to access reports and visualizations relevant to their data. At the same time the PGAs will access standard reports and adhoc reporting capabilities free of charge.
The Mombasa Port and Northern Corridor Community Charter, MPNCCC related reports will be published to its website, while more analytical and complex reports will be provided at a cost to sustain the Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing & the Integration Layer, IL infrastructure.
KenTrade currently interfaces 38 Partner Government Agencies among them Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Mombasa Port and Northern Corridor Community Charter. Others are KEPROBA, banks and insurance firms.
Other users expected to draw benefits from the tool also include KenTrade Board and Management, Ministries of Finance, Trade & Industry, KIFWA and the Shippers Council as well as the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
The move comes as the Agency upgraded its TradeNet System in a bid to increase efficiency.
The system, which is now known as Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), is a superior platform that will provide a better user experience as it is based on modern technologies and incorporates best international practices and standards.
The upgrade that began in August 2021, has already onboarded about 25 partner government agencies.
“KenTrade has continued to embrace and implement emerging technologies that enable it to provide unique products and services. These efforts are aimed at providing stakeholders with an opportunity to conduct business in a seamless, efficient, and effective way hence reducing the cost of doing business within the country.” he concluded.
Kenya remains an important regional gateway to the landlocked East Africa and wider Great Lakes countries, with the Northern Corridor linking the Port of Mombasa to Uganda( biggest transit destination), Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan.