Govt. to ban illegal metal scrap exports
The government is to ban the illegal export of metal, iron, related equipment and scrap in the country, and in the future, all metal exports should be made only on the recommendations of the Ministry of Industry, Minister of State for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told the Business Times,
He noted that the country was losing foreign exchange as a result of the illegal export of all metal waste, iron related equipment and scrap materials such as copper, brass, aluminum, china chatti, white iron, etc.
All illegal re-exports of scrap metal will be prohibited and only allowed under the recommendations and license system of the Ministry of Industry.
Scrap metal are procured on a large scale from Sri Lanka Telecom, Railways Department, Electricity Board and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, several businessmen said.
A sizable quantity of metal scrap is collected by people in small trucks and push carts and taken to larger collectors who pay upfront cash.
Majority of these businessmen and exporters are protesting the licence system which will benefit a few medium and large scale industrialists with political and official backing, they said.
Aluminum and metal cans in particular in the environment can be dengue mosquito breeding places Minister Siyambalapitiya said adding that the ban is also aimed at preventing such occurrences.
Sri Lanka’s scrap metal product manufacturing and exporting firms of used beverage can (UBC) ingots along with other metal slab exporters have expressed concern on the government’s action to control their industry.
These exporters noted that they will have to close down their operations as a result of prohibiting exports of all scrap metals, they complained.
This ban will lead to piling up of large stocks of scrap metal in dumping areas across the country as a result of scrap metal export ban, they said.
Some 40,000 people, more than 70 medium industries and over 300 small industries in the Kaduwela, Gampaha, Kandy and Kegalle will be badly hit by scrap metal exports ban, several businessmen in the sector complained.
These industries earn a revenue of over Rs 750 million per month by producing value added products including water pumps, manhole covers, machinery and spare parts, but this will almost come to a standstill due to the shortage of scrap metal, they said.
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