Watchdog rules scrap metal with iron hand
Published:Monday | May 10, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
In a last-ditch bid to prevent a full-scale closure of the scrap-metal industry, the Government plans to carry out monthly reviews of the monitoring systems it has implemented.
Minister of Industry and Com-merce Karl Samuda, who announced last week that the ban on the export of scrap metal had been lifted, told The Gleaner yesterday that the mechanism had to be reviewed constantly, given the experiences in recent years.
"This (review system) has to be in place until we can secure a central site for scrap-metal monitoring," Samuda told The Gleaner. "It is important that we do this to be able to reassess the number of central sites that the Government needs to put in place to be able to effectively monitor the operations of scrap-metal dealers."
Rampant theft of metal from critical legitimate operations, such as irrigation plants and business entities, and even from bridges, has forced the Government to halt trade in the scrap-metal industry at least three times over the past three years.
hard struggle
The minister said if assessments of the monitoring processes were favourable, there may be need for fewer central facilities than originally estimated.
"It has been a hard, long struggle, and now we are hoping for the best," said Samuda, who was forced to suspend the export of scrap metal within weeks of assuming the industry and commerce portfolio three years ago.
He said while the establishment of the 10-member watchdog was expected to limit the possibility of stolen metal being traded, the Government would not be taking any chances.
Samuda emphasised that no licences would be issued unless all 10 members of the monitoring committee affix their signatures to the document.
Additionally, a minimum of three customs officers are required to sign scrap-metal licences.
"If they (scrap-metal exporters) don't have the required number of signatures, they will not be allowed to do business," the minister warned.
Samuda said another important feature of the new arrangement was the no-smelting provision.
He warned that copper will not be exported under the revamped system, but said that allowances were being made for dealers who had legitimately obtained copper before the new arrangements were announced.