According to Monitor on August 16th, the Uganda National Standards Agency urges customs clearance agents to assist the business community in complying with import inspection and clearance procedures to improve service quality. Traders often accuse the Uganda National Standards Authority of confiscating goods they have already placed on the market, even if they have paid the required taxes. Merchants believe that once taxes are paid, goods should meet quality standards before entering the market. However, the Uganda National Standards Agency stated that after customs clearance, such goods should undergo inspection or provide proof of inspection standards before leaving the bonded warehouse. James Kasigwa, Executive Director of the Uganda National Standards Agency, told the executive members of the Uganda Clearing Industry and Freight Association (UCIFA) at the headquarters of the Uganda National Standards Agency in Bweyogerere that this is a regulation that every importer should comply with. The Uganda National Standards Agency stated that through market supervision actions, it has been discovered that some imported goods covered by mandatory standards in Uganda periodically bypass the inspection and clearance procedures of the Uganda National Standards Agency at entry points and bonded warehouses, and subsequently enter the market without holding the necessary Uganda National Standards Agency import Clearance Certificate (ICC). A recent study by the Uganda National Standards Agency shows that the vast majority of importers are not familiar with the International Chamber of Commerce, and they blame customs clearance and freight forwarders for not providing this service to customers.
