Mair chastises Hylton for reopening scrap metal trade

Opposition spokesperson on Industry, Commerce and Energy, Gregory Mair has accused his counterpart in government, Anthony Hylton, of putting the interest of a few constituents ahead of the country by resuming the trade.

Mr Mair has claimed that many scrap metal traders are residents of Mr Hylton’s western St Andrew constituency. He says the minister must tell the nation what it will cost the country to monitor the trade versus the projected income and how he intends to guarantee that foreign exchange earned from the trade will return to Jamaica.

The Opposition spokesman says the government must also say whether a feasibility study was done to support reasons for resuming the trade.

Mr Mair argues that the resumption of the trade may result in the institutionalization of property theft in the country. The trade was discontinued by the former Jamaica Labour Party administration in July 2011 because of the high incidence of property theft, including government, telecommunication and private infrastructure, to satisfy the demand of the trade.

But Minister Hylton has maintained that all efforts have been made to ensure the renewed trade is tightly operated with stringent regulations and appropriate penalties for non-compliance.