The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net NEW legislation governing the scrap metal industry has proven to be too onerous for at least one dealer who has quit the business, telling Tribune Business yesterday: "It was costing me more than I was getting out of it." Sheno Ferguson, proprietor of Trinity Development and Trading Solutions, said he quit the scrap metal trade, returning his focus to his heavy equipment business, as new legislation governing the industry had become too taxing. Under the provisions of the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 2011, aimed at regulating the export of scrap metal, business owners or dealers engaged in the export of scrap metal will have to verify the identity of customers and maintain records of all transactions. "I got out of that business. I shut it down and I have gone back to my heavy equipment company. It wasn't working for me. It was costing me more than I was getting out of it. It just doesn't interest me any more. The Government put all kind of things in place to make it hard for the small man to make a dollar. You have to go through so many things just to ship," Mr Ferguson said. The Government last year placed a temporary ban on the scrap metal trade, while imposing a permanent ban on all copper exports in an effort to curb the theft and destruction of property said to be linked with the industry. Another scrap metal dealer, Ronny Etienne, owner of Ronny's Auto, told Tribune Business that while the new regulations were taxing, "it could have been worse". Mr Etienne said: "The things that they implemented are costly, but as long as it stopped the thieves from vandalising the business, it's good. It's more paperwork now, you have to scrutinise every individual and find out where they got their stuff from. "It's only really been a solid month because they opened it on December 5, and copper came 30 days later. I was able to get out some aluminium 30 days later. There is still a lot of stealing going on. If you're in this for you livelihood you have to protect yourself and not purchase from people you have doubts with. We are still better off than Jamaica; they don't ship anything at all. I'm content; it could have been worse."