MP Lee: Government’s deceit continues as Scrap Iron Industry remains closed

It is clear that the Government’s promise to the Scrap Iron Industry that the ban on the scrap iron trade will be lifted before December 31st 2022 was just this Government’s usual “snake oil salesman” behaviour to give false hope to stakeholders as they tried to cover up the massive suffering facing thousands who were plunged into poverty as a result of their heartless decision to shut-down the industry.

The Attorney General should feel ashamed for giving false hope not only to the Scrap Iron Industry but to our Parliament because on December 14th 2022 he committed to have this industry functioning when he stated : “we have given the commitment to the population and we intend to implement the commitment to proclaim enough of this Act and to deem it operational so that by Christmas small and medium players in the society can once more be operating their business, as Mr. Ferguson asked me”

Over a month has passed since the bill was passed yet thousands within the industry, especially in my Pointe a Pierre constituency continue to suffer as the industry remains shut due to the heartless, visionless and reckless approach by a government who have no regard for the struggle of the poor or working class.

The failure of the government to live up to its promise comes as no surprise because this is the morally bankrupt government which has promised procurement legislation but delayed it and the same dishonest government that said it wasn’t shutting down Petrotrin but has left it to become scrap metal.