WHILE the current government has not made a decision on its resumuption, the scrap metal trade — a lucrative business for legitimate and rogue dealers — continued to make headlines for the wrong reasons in 2011.

In July, the the Jamaica Labour Party-led government imposed a permanent ban on the trade to help stop widespread vandalism of metals from businesses throughout the island.

Christopher Tufton, then industry, investment and commerce minister, said the ban was inevitable. He noted that scrap metal theft had cost government and private sector more than $1 billion during the past three years.

It was the second time in one year that government halted scrap metal exports. In April, 2010 Tufton’s predecessor Karl Samuda took similar action after reports of widespread vandalism.

Vandals, believed to be involved in the illegal scrap metal trade, continue to plunder government entities, with Kingston and St Andrew being the most affected areas.

Stephen Shaw, head of communications at the National Works Agency (NWA), said thieves targeted aluminum bridge railings, manhole covers and guard rails throughout the Corporate Area.

Though Kingston and St Andrew accounted for most of the incidents, Shaw said there were similar activity in Spanish Town, May Pen, Clarendon and St Elizabeth.

In the last two years, thieves have made some major heists. These include the pillaging of agricultural equipment valued at $5 million from the Colbeck irrigation pumping station; metal estimated at $1 million used to construct stands at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town; and rails used by trains from the Windalco bauxite company to transport raw material and alumina.

According to the ministry of industry and commerce, the scrap metal sector is a thriving one, pulling in a hefty $100 million in 2009. It has spawned

a lucrative black market spin-off that police say has grown significantly in the past five years.

— Howard Campbell