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Dr Tufton's decisive handling of the scrap metal fiasco
Thursday, July 28, 2011
WE'RE still trying to wrap our minds, with great difficulty, around how people can so wantonly steal scrap metals, thus putting the country's infrastructure in jeopardy.
Bridges? Water pipes? Telephone cables? Railway lines? Gates? Road signs? Not even the dead is spared as these worthless scavengers dig up graves in order to rob the coffins of metal handles.
The international trade in scrap metals, fanned by rapid development in places like China, Brazil, India and Russia, has proven irresistible to our local dealers, some of whom are legitimately licensed but many of whom are also not.
In the same way that sand is mined illegally to the detriment of the environment, some of these dealers could not care less about the well-being of Jamaica, as long as they can satisfy their thirst for scrap metals. According to estimates, they have illegally removed $1 billion worth of metals in three years.
Soon no home, school, hospital, police station or any other institution where metal is to be found in their structure will be safe. Airports even.
We may be slow in the cranium, but we're finding it hard to understand why former Industry Minister Mr Karl Samuda is opposed to the scrap metal ban.
Mr Samuda said he had left a well laid plan for his successor, Dr Christopher Tufton when he vacated office and he was confident that it could work to ferret out the illegal dealers while protecting the legitimate operators.
With all due respect, the illegal trade mushroomed under Mr Samuda's watch. After the lifting of the temporary ban that he imposed, the scrap metal thieves returned with a vengeance. What did the former minister want to see happen before he could be convinced that the country's future was at stake? The vandalising of aeroplanes, ambulances?
Of course, Mr Samuda is well intentioned. But he should know that the wheels of government grind slowly and all the scrap metals might be removed long before his measures work. In the meantime, things like bridges might come crashing down.
Another side of the equation is the role of the legitimate dealers in protecting their industry. Ordinary people don't know who is honest and who is not. We believe that it was the duty of the licensed dealers to provide information to the police about the activities of their illegal competitors. Surely they must know something.
The Scrap Metal Federation can't be satisfied with simply pursuing the narrow interests of its 25 members, without regard for the larger interest of the nation.
Minister Tufton has acted decisively to protect Jamaica's welfare, a refreshing approach given our history of vacillating until the horse has bolted through the gate. For that, he has our support.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1TPRTbmnm
Thursday, July 28, 2011
WE'RE still trying to wrap our minds, with great difficulty, around how people can so wantonly steal scrap metals, thus putting the country's infrastructure in jeopardy.
Bridges? Water pipes? Telephone cables? Railway lines? Gates? Road signs? Not even the dead is spared as these worthless scavengers dig up graves in order to rob the coffins of metal handles.
The international trade in scrap metals, fanned by rapid development in places like China, Brazil, India and Russia, has proven irresistible to our local dealers, some of whom are legitimately licensed but many of whom are also not.
In the same way that sand is mined illegally to the detriment of the environment, some of these dealers could not care less about the well-being of Jamaica, as long as they can satisfy their thirst for scrap metals. According to estimates, they have illegally removed $1 billion worth of metals in three years.
Soon no home, school, hospital, police station or any other institution where metal is to be found in their structure will be safe. Airports even.
We may be slow in the cranium, but we're finding it hard to understand why former Industry Minister Mr Karl Samuda is opposed to the scrap metal ban.
Mr Samuda said he had left a well laid plan for his successor, Dr Christopher Tufton when he vacated office and he was confident that it could work to ferret out the illegal dealers while protecting the legitimate operators.
With all due respect, the illegal trade mushroomed under Mr Samuda's watch. After the lifting of the temporary ban that he imposed, the scrap metal thieves returned with a vengeance. What did the former minister want to see happen before he could be convinced that the country's future was at stake? The vandalising of aeroplanes, ambulances?
Of course, Mr Samuda is well intentioned. But he should know that the wheels of government grind slowly and all the scrap metals might be removed long before his measures work. In the meantime, things like bridges might come crashing down.
Another side of the equation is the role of the legitimate dealers in protecting their industry. Ordinary people don't know who is honest and who is not. We believe that it was the duty of the licensed dealers to provide information to the police about the activities of their illegal competitors. Surely they must know something.
The Scrap Metal Federation can't be satisfied with simply pursuing the narrow interests of its 25 members, without regard for the larger interest of the nation.
Minister Tufton has acted decisively to protect Jamaica's welfare, a refreshing approach given our history of vacillating until the horse has bolted through the gate. For that, he has our support.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1TPRTbmnm
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