One of the biggest bodies responsible for the sugar industry in the country is calling on the Fiji Police Forces to look into scrap metal thefts within the industry.
Fiji Sugar Corporation Executive Chairman, Abdul Khan said that a number of FSC rail lines and carts have been stolen which is costing a big blow to the industry.
“Something definitely needs to be done and we working with Government to really provide some disciplines; and we do have some scrap metal buyers who don’t care where the scrap metals come from and what we need to do is take those people to task,” Mr Khan said.
Mr Khan said the industry will total the number of rail lines and carts taken away by the end of the crushing season which will give an idea of the total losses.
“The issue for us is just not only what is happening now but what will happen in the future. We want to increase our rail systems and improve on it and if somebody comes and takes that away, that will be a huge loss for us and that is an area that we really need to tighten up on.”
Early this year, Government passed the Scrap Metal Trade Decree 2011 and the Scrap Metal Trade (Forms & Fees) Regulations 2011 which amongst other provisions requires the production of approval to sell public infrastructure scrap metal to the buyer; and requires the buyer to sight photographic ID of the seller and also vehicle details of the vehicle delivering the public infrastructure scrap metal.
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