Trade CS Miano Strikes Deal After Meeting Car Investors
She signed far-reaching agreements with Japanese vehicle manufacturers that will see the firms expand local markets.
Marvin Chege 
Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano held a meeting with investors from the Toyota Tsusho corporation on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Session of Trade Ministers meeting held, in Sakai, Osaka, Japan.
During the meeting, the Trade CS who took over from Moses Kuria urged the investors to step up efforts regarding the manufacture of spare parts in Kenya.
This is as she signed far-reaching agreements with Japanese vehicle manufacturers that will see the firms expand local markets.
''It is an opportune time that the Japanese conglomerate worked with Kenyan counterparts to develop the requisite capacity for the Kenyan-based facility’s enhanced operations, targeting the greater African Market under the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), among other markets,'' the CS stated.
Imported vehicles parked at a yard in Mombasa. /THE STAR
During the meeting, a National Automotive policy was agreed on between the Government of Kenya and the automotive industry stakeholders to provide for making Kenya the destination of choice for the Industry.
However, in light of emerging industry trends, as highlighted by the Toyota Tshusho management, it was agreed that the ongoing development of the automotive bill and regulations therein also be done in close consultation with the Industry stakeholders.
It was resolved that the Corporation continue to work with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry to further its business interests in the African region and for the mutual benefit of the people of Kenya and Japan.
The meeting also resolved that the finalisation of the automotive bill and automotive regulations will be expedited in collaboration with the Industry stakeholders.
The bill as well as the regulations will provide for End of Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling for both used cars and batteries, thus helping to raid the country of an otherwise growing menace of waste. Currently, it is estimated that over 70,000 vehicles are lying in junkyards after running the course of their useful life.
The meeting also resolved that ELV recycling should go hand in hand with the reduction in the age of second-hand vehicles to be allowed into Kenya, which in turn is anticipated to drive up demand for new vehicles and hence support local assembling with an attendant increase in job creation.
''The growth of the industry has not been in tandem with capacity development for the local manufacture of parts and components thus occasioning falling out of some of the players and thus slowing down the projected scaling up of the number of locally produced parts and components in the locally assembled vehicles,'' Miano said.
On electric vehicle development, it was agreed that the industry consider developing an appropriate supportive infrastructure such as local manufacture of energy efficient batteries and charging systems to aid swooping and making the vehicles convenient for use and hence making them popular.
It was agreed that there was a need to provide incentives by way of reduced duty on electric and hybrid vehicles in order to make them affordable to many.
The CS, who was the only African minister invited to the G7 summit, also signed to Initiate Industrial Policy Dialogue (IPD) with her Japanese Counterpart Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The IPD will indicate the direction of industrial collaboration that will contribute to strengthening economic relations between Kenya and Japan and provide for identifying and discussing cooperation areas that may become points of discussion in the future and support the mutually beneficial relation between Kenya and Japan.
She also met Canada’s Minister for Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development Mary NG and agreed that Kenya and Canada will work to mutually support their vision of a prosperous, sustainable world driven by trade and investment.
The ministry in a statement said the meeting between the two ministers focused on the growing bilateral trade relationship between the two countries focusing on tea, coffee, horticulture, pharmaceuticals and industrial products.
