While lauding the very good intentions of "Made in Kenya" and the many Kenyans who emotionally support local manufacturing, it is important to note that local manufacturing will not take off as long as we have a punitive import policy. 

Our import policy punishes importers with lengthy delays, and lots of taxes and levies. This is especially true for small importers. 

Unfortunately, we live in an age of Global Supply Chains. To export, one must import things like raw materials, prototypes, labour, and more. 

By finding it prohibitive to import, businesses can't come up with manufactured goods and services to export. 

Let's take South Korea. It's the world's 8th largest importer, which in turn enables it to be the world's 7th largest exporter. 

Brazil is often the bastion of anti-importers. They point at Brazil's position as the 7th/8th largest economy. However, Brazil's anti import policy is not the contributor here, but rather it's population is. It has the 5th largest population globally (hence you see it still loses otherwise it would be 5th largest economy). Brazil is also a large oil producer. In fact, it's strong anti import policy has come with high costs in the form of economic and government instability that led to coups. 

Back to Kenya, the reason why the Brick is designed in Kenya, but not manufactured here is because manufacturing the same here loads high import costs in the form of component taxes. 

Every manufacturer has a goal to sell to as many people as possible. Therefore, even if they start by importing finished products, they normally will want to progress to manufacturing the same with the goal of keeping more of the profits, and eventually sell to more people by exporting to other countries. 

Thus, we have to work on making it less punitive to import if we plan to build local manufacturing, otherwise manufacturers will move to countries where it is easy to be part of the global supply chain. 

On Thu, 18 Jun 2015 at 22:08 DigitalTVAfrica via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Six years ago, this was the opinion on locally assembled Digital TV decoders. Can we assemble integrated digital TVs?  

Is it a lost opportunity? 


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <bitange@jambo.co.ke>
Date: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Subject: [kictanet] Digital to Analog Conversion
To: wainaina@madeinkenya.org
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>


Indeed Dr. Kamau of University of Nairobi Engineering Faculty has been
able to reverse engineer a converter we gave him.  The University through
the Ministry of Science and Technology received a modern Fab Lab.  It is
for us now to push new products there.  The Private sector must take the
lead in this new venture.  If anyone wants to visit there, please let me
know.  I have arranged a number of tours there.


Ndemo.




> Hi,
>
> If this is the case can someone from the University come online and
> confirm.
>
> Robert Yawe
>
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>
> Kenya
>
>
>
> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>
> --- On Thu, 17/12/09, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.or.ke> wrote:
>
> From: Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.or.ke>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital to Analog Conversion
> To: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk
> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Date: Thursday, 17 December, 2009, 8:53
>
>
>
>
> During the Launch, PS Ndemo confirmed that Nairobi
> University has developed a proto-type converter which is working. we
> should
> possibly explore a PPP to take this to the next level with the University
> linking up with Industry to do this.
>  
> Maybe Dr Ndemo can shed more light on this and what plans
> are there for the future.
>  
> Edith
>
>
>
> From:
> kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf
> Of
> Mwololo Tim
> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 5:33
> AM
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy
> Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital to Analog
> Conversion
>
>
> Well argued Robert. I trust PS/MoIC is listening and will take
> action. tim
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 6:08 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>       Hi,
>
> When the migration from analog to digital was
>         initially raised fear was put into the public on how there would
> be no
>         option but to throw away our analog TV sets and replace them with
>         Digital.
>
> Now that digital transmission is finally here we need to
>         look at how to make the migration as painless as possible while at
> the
>         same time we do not disenfranchise any citizens.
>
> It has been
>         mentioned that there are over 1 million TV sets in Kenya today,
> that
>         means 1 million digital to analog converters will be required over
> the
>         next 2-3 years.
>
> I believe this is a great opportunity for us to
>         go into the electronic assembly business, I would like to propose
> that
>         we 1st increase duty on converters from the current 35% to 250% so
> as to
>         discourage the importation of the converters.
>
> Then exempt from
>         duty and vat all assembly stations, test equipment and components
> for
>         anyone who sets up a converter assembly plant, with a 3 year tax
>         holiday.  If you setup the plant more than 200 kilometers from
>         Nairobi or Mombasa you receive an addition 2 years tax holiday.
>
> I
>         believe this will sort out the issue of substandard converters and
> will
>         also provide an opportunity for us to develop our electronic
> devices
>         assembly skills.
>
> If you make a net profit of 1,000/- there is a
>         clean 875,000,000/- to be made, close to what the government is
> spending
>         on purchase of the Malili farm. This is assuming a standard
> device,
>         there is still a market for those who want high end devices with
>         recording, tuners, USB ports, etc which would mean that the
> returns
>         could be much higher than projected above.
>
> So will we move away
>         from juts being importers and retailers or do we have what it
> takes to
>         do some value add?
>
> Regards
>
>
> Robert Yawe
> KAY System
>         Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi,
>         00200
> Kenya
>
> Tel: +254722511225,
>   +254202010696
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet
>   mailing list
> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This
>   message was sent to: timwololo@gmail.com
> Unsubscribe or
>   change your options at
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/timwololo%40gmail.com
>
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This message was sent to: robertyawe@yahoo.co.uk
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/robertyawe%40yahoo.co.uk
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> This message has been scanned for viruses and
> dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is
> believed to be clean.
> ---------------------------------------------
> "easy access to the world"
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> This message was sent to: bitange@jambo.co.ke
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke
>



----------------------------------------------
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
---------------------------------------------
"easy access to the world"


_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

This message was sent to: wainaina@madeinkenya.org
Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org



--
Digital Television policy, regulation and technology in Africa on issues relating to Consumers, Content and Coverage. 

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmbuvi%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.