By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE scrap metal industry now has a Regulation Ad-Hoc Committee.
Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, in a statement on Wednesday said the first meeting was held earlier that day.
Its members comprise key officers from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Customs and Excise Division of the Ministry of Finance, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force of the Ministry of National Security, he stated.
This committee is tasked with supporting the Law Reform Commission’s assignment to aggressively revamp the current legislation to consider and enable:
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An enforceable legislative and licencing regime;
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the maintenance of a public access registration system via website;
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the ability of law enforcement, including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Customs and Excise Division to inspect, among other places the collection sites;
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the provision of regulatory making power in the substantive law; and
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any other considerations which should be included in order to interdict the illegalities within the industry by urgent legislative and regulatory reform.
“The committee is mandated to adhere to strict timelines in order to present draft legislation within the next three months and to include stakeholder collaboration during its deliberations,” Armour stated.
On August 15, Armour officially announced a six-month ban on the export of copper.
He also said then that after three months, he will bring a further note for Cabinet’s consideration with a review and analysis of the current legislation pertaining to the old metals industry along with a review of regional and international legislation and to make recommendations to specific amendments.
Since the ban was announced, there have been several protests action by scrap iron dealers and collectors asking Government to remove it.
