By Rading Biko
Every year Kenya losses close to a trillion
shilling due to counterfeit and other forms of illicit trade. This represents
9.3 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product. This was revealed by
Anti-Counterfeit Authority.
Ms Fridah Kaberia,
the Acting Executive Director at the Anti-Counterfeit Authority in a past event
.[ACA File]
“The National Baseline Survey on Counterfeit
and Other Forms of Illicit Trade in Kenya, the total size of illicit trade was
estimated at KSh 826 billion in 2018, having risen from KSh 726 billion in 2017
translating to 8.9% and 9.3% of GDP respectively.” Confirms Ms Fridah Kaberia,
the Acting Executive Director at the Anti-Counterfeit Authority.
Ms Kaberia was speaking during the
commemoration of the World Anti-Counterfeit Day.
This
year’s event was organized globally by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG).
The counterfeit authority pledges to introduce
ACA’s Intellectual Property Recordation System for all imports into the country
in a bid to scale up the war on counterfeit products.
Ms Kaberaia “Recordation is a game-changer in
the war against counterfeits. We are seeking to create an Intellectual Property
Rights Database that will be used by our officers at border points to easily
flag counterfeits before entering the Kenyan market. As Kenya embraces
innovation and technology, this IPR Recordation measure will use image
processing software to assist custom and border point inspectors to have brand
information and counter the entry of counterfeits into the country.”
Kenya like any other economy is facing the
wrath of countering and illicit trade that is affecting the government’s
development agenda.
The day brings together National and
international IP organizations to raise public awareness of the negative impact
of counterfeit and pirated goods on the health, safety, and security of
consumers.
This year’s theme, “Leveraging on Technology
to Combat Counterfeiting”, went at par with the planned launch of ACA’s
Intellectual Property Recordation System for all imports into the country.
Globally illicit trade creates an annual drain
on the world’s economy of USD2.2 trillion – nearly 3 per cent of the entire
globe’s economy.
This implies the potential of this trade is
wiping out the manufacturing sector, thus deeming the country’s prospect for
industry-led trade development.
