Textile producers in countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) market are quite exasperated over inordinate delay in clearing of consignments at Mombasa port.
A apparel factory owner divulged that, for over a month, the ships conveying shipments to ports are made to linger in the mid-sea for 10 days prior to allowing them to berth.
Shortage of tools required to clear the shipments is elongating the clearance process for vessels by three to four days, he said and added that, the inordinate delay in delivery of consignments has time and again compelled the textile units to cease production, during the months of August and September, this year.
According to him, the delay in receiving the consignments will devastate the domestic textile industry which greatly relies on fabrics imported from India and China, for production purpose and that, no other port in the world, except Mombasa, takes so long to clear the consignments.
He said that, it should hardly take a day's time to conclude the process, and added that, there is an urgent requirement for the port authorities to solve the issue, else it would prolong the sufferings of the exporters.