Kenya Shipping Jobs. WEB
Metadata
- Kenya Shipping Jobs. WEB
- June 8, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English KENYA SHIPPING JOBS (TV) HEADLINE: Kenyan Firms Decry Share of Business Going to Global Shipping Lines TEASER: Workers unions warn that 10,000 jobs and 1,000 Kenyan firms may be at risk PUBLISHED: 6/8/2022 at 9:30AM BYLINE: Juma Majanga DATELINE: Port of Mombasa, Kenya VIDEOGRAPHER: Amos Wangwa VIDEO EDITOR: SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, MAS VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __ TRT: 2:52 VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO)) Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenyan companies that unload freight ships and transport cargo faced growing competition from international shippers. Now, workers unions say unless steps are taken to protect local businesses an estimated 1,000 firms and 10,000 jobs may be lost. Juma Majanga reports from the port of Mombasa, Kenya. ((NARRATOR)) Peter Otieno, a clearing and forwarding agent at the Port of Mombasa, says his business is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he’s worried about competing with international shipping lines, which have started offering full services previously done by Kenyan businesses. ((Peter Otieno, Port Clearing and Forwarding Agent (English, 29 secs)) “When we have left the business open such that the shipping lines can come here, open their offices, then after opening the offices, they do even clearing, they do the transport. ((NARRATOR)) Kenya has no commercial shipping vessels. According to the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa, foreign-owned shipping lines control up to 92 per cent of Kenya’s international freight trade. The law previously restricted global shipping lines from providing added services, leaving more business for local companies. But since winning a Kenyan court case in 2017, these shipping lines have consolidated cargo unloading, forwarding and other services in what is called a vertical integration model. Workers unions argue international shippers have an advantage because they make initial contact with the clients and can offer them full services first, costing locals jobs and business. ((Leonard Njiru, Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association ((English 19secs)) “In the last one year, here in Mombasa, we have lost almost 50 members who were operating companies, now not operating.” ((NARRATOR)) The World Trade Organization safeguard framework allows member countries to develop regulations to protect local companies from unfair competition. In this case, local businesses say, they are being hurt by uncompetitive practices. The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa backs the vertical integration model, saying it streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and is a global model that is here to stay. But the council adds it understands the workers' concerns and is calling on Kenya to adopt regulations to address job losses. (Gilbert Langat, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa ((English, 15 secs)) “So, what we need to do is to have regulations that are actually able to control how this happens. That even when it happens, our interests as a region, as Kenya, as a corridor and as locals are taken care of.” ((NARRATOR)) But freight companies at the Port of Mombasa – already struggling to deal with the impact of the COVID pandemic - fear they will be pushed out of business. ((Peter Otieno, Port Clearing and Forwarding Agent (English, 9 secs)) “We need to defend the clearing and forwarding companies that are operating in this country, which is investment of the local Kenyans.” ((NARRATOR)) Industry insiders in Kenya say without measures to protect them, local companies may be dealt a fatal blow. ((Juma Majanga, for VOA News, Port of Mombasa, Kenya))
- Transcript/Script KENYA SHIPPING JOBS (TV) HEADLINE: Kenyan Firms Decry Share of Business Going to Global Shipping Lines TEASER: Workers unions warn that 10,000 jobs and 1,000 Kenyan firms may be at risk PUBLISHED: 6/8/2022 at 9:30AM BYLINE: Juma Majanga DATELINE: Port of Mombasa, Kenya VIDEOGRAPHER: Amos Wangwa VIDEO EDITOR: SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, MAS VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __ TRT: 2:52 VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO)) Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenyan companies that unload freight ships and transport cargo faced growing competition from international shippers. Now, workers unions say unless steps are taken to protect local businesses an estimated 1,000 firms and 10,000 jobs may be lost. Juma Majanga reports from the port of Mombasa, Kenya. ((NARRATOR)) Peter Otieno, a clearing and forwarding agent at the Port of Mombasa, says his business is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he’s worried about competing with international shipping lines, which have started offering full services previously done by Kenyan businesses. ((Peter Otieno, Port Clearing and Forwarding Agent (English, 29 secs)) “When we have left the business open such that the shipping lines can come here, open their offices, then after opening the offices, they do even clearing, they do the transport. ((NARRATOR)) Kenya has no commercial shipping vessels. According to the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa, foreign-owned shipping lines control up to 92 per cent of Kenya’s international freight trade. The law previously restricted global shipping lines from providing added services, leaving more business for local companies. But since winning a Kenyan court case in 2017, these shipping lines have consolidated cargo unloading, forwarding and other services in what is called a vertical integration model. Workers unions argue international shippers have an advantage because they make initial contact with the clients and can offer them full services first, costing locals jobs and business. ((Leonard Njiru, Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association ((English 19secs)) “In the last one year, here in Mombasa, we have lost almost 50 members who were operating companies, now not operating.” ((NARRATOR)) The World Trade Organization safeguard framework allows member countries to develop regulations to protect local companies from unfair competition. In this case, local businesses say, they are being hurt by uncompetitive practices. The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa backs the vertical integration model, saying it streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and is a global model that is here to stay. But the council adds it understands the workers' concerns and is calling on Kenya to adopt regulations to address job losses. (Gilbert Langat, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa ((English, 15 secs)) “So, what we need to do is to have regulations that are actually able to control how this happens. That even when it happens, our interests as a region, as Kenya, as a corridor and as locals are taken care of.” ((NARRATOR)) But freight companies at the Port of Mombasa – already struggling to deal with the impact of the COVID pandemic - fear they will be pushed out of business. ((Peter Otieno, Port Clearing and Forwarding Agent (English, 9 secs)) “We need to defend the clearing and forwarding companies that are operating in this country, which is investment of the local Kenyans.” ((NARRATOR)) Industry insiders in Kenya say without measures to protect them, local companies may be dealt a fatal blow. ((Juma Majanga, for VOA News, Port of Mombasa, Kenya))
- NewsML Media Topics Economy, Business and Finance
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date June 8, 2022 14:16 EDT
- Description English Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenyan companies that unload freight ships and transport cargo faced growing competition from international shippers. Now, workers unions say unless steps are taken to protect local businesses an estimated 1,000 firms and 10,000 jobs may be lost. Juma Majanga reports from the port of Mombasa, Kenya.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English