Importers and clearing agents will no longer need to rely on officers to manually opt in their Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PINs when applying for National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) permits.
NEMA, in collaboration with the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade), has announced that the PIN opt-in process for EPR permits will be fully automated from September 28, 2026.
The change will affect importers, clearing agents and other stakeholders using the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) to process NEMA EPR certificates.
In a notice issued on Thursday, September 24, NEMA said the new system will allow importers to have their KRA PINs automatically opted in when applying for EPR certificates through the Single Window System.
Manual intervention to be eliminated
Under the previous process, applicants could require assistance from NEMA officers to complete the PIN opt-in stage of their EPR applications.
The new automated workflow is designed to remove that manual step by linking the process directly to the Single Window System.
“Under this enhanced automated workflow, importers can seamlessly have their Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PINs for NEMA EPR certificate applications opted in directly via Single Window System (Trade Facilitation Platform), completely eliminating the need for opting in by officers,” NEMA said.
The authority said the change is intended to make the application process faster and easier for businesses involved in importing products subject to EPR requirements.
What the new system means for importers
Once the automation takes effect, importers applying for NEMA EPR certificates will be able to complete the PIN opt-in process electronically as part of their application.
NEMA said the system will improve the availability of the service and reduce delays associated with manual processing.
“This enhancement is intended to result in: Fast, seamless and efficient EPR Application and Processing 24/7 Service Availability, elimination of manual intervention, enhanced user experience and improved operational efficiency,” the authority said.
The change is part of wider efforts by government agencies to digitise trade-related services and reduce physical or manual interactions in regulatory processes.
EPR permits and trade compliance
Extended Producer Responsibility requires producers and other businesses covered by the relevant environmental rules to take responsibility for the environmental impact of products and packaging placed on the market.
For importers, the NEMA EPR certification process forms part of the regulatory requirements that may need to be completed before goods can move through the country’s trade systems.
By integrating the PIN opt-in process into the Single Window System, NEMA and KenTrade are seeking to make the process more directly accessible to businesses.
The automation is also expected to give applicants greater visibility over their applications while reducing the need for intervention by regulatory officers.
Digitalisation of Kenya’s trade processes
The NEMA announcement comes as government agencies continue to expand digital systems for customs, environmental compliance and trade facilitation.
The Trade Facilitation Platform brings together services used by businesses involved in importing and exporting goods, allowing various regulatory processes to be handled electronically.
For importers and clearing agents, the NEMA change means the EPR permit application process will have fewer manual steps from September 28.
Businesses using the platform will therefore need to familiarise themselves with the automated workflow ahead of the implementation date to avoid delays in processing their applications.
