The decision by MINMIDT is to protect local industries and save infrastructure from vandalism.
Those who made a living from gathering and export of scrap irons and metals would have to source for other means of survival. Government, through the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINMIDT), has prohibited the export of these objects.
According to a release from MINMIDT, signed by Minister Emmanuel Bonde, "the national and international community is reminded that in accordance with article 9 of order no.00237/MINMIDT/CAB of 19 July, 2008 to lay down conditions for collecting, transporting, stockpiling, processing and exporting of scrap iron and metal in Cameroon, the export of scrap metal and iron is strictly forbidden throughout the national territory. Offenders shall be liable to various sanctions provided for by the regulations in force."
In a chat with Cameroon Tribune on Friday February 7, Bagoutou Djembele, Sub Director of Industrial Hazards in MINMIDT said the reasons to ban the exportation of the objects were two-fold; preserve the raw materials for local industries and save infrastructure from money hungry citizens who often vandalise them to sell to exporters. He said Indians and Chinese have been exporting the objects in huge quantities and given that the country has local industries dealing in metallurgy with scrap irons and metals as raw materials, while waiting for Mbalam to produce iron, there was need to prohibit the exportation of the objects so as to allow the local industries to stay buoyant. "Secondly, Cameroonians who have been selling these objects to Indians and Chinese were destroying our railway lines and electrical and telephone cables. There was a time we discovered over ten containers of these objects ready for export and we have written to the Minister of Finance, Delegate General for National Security and the Minister of Defence for a joint action to halt this phenomenon," Bagoutou Djembele said.
While striving to ensure that the decision to out rightly ban the exportation is respected to the letter, the Sub Director for Industrial Hazards said the 2008 ministerial order will be reinforced by the involvement of all. "Each Cameroonian who wants to collect and transport scrap irons and metals should have a written letter showing where he got the objects, where it is heading to and all our Regional Delegates should be able to trace the material to know its source, quantity and destination. Our legal unit will drag defaulters to court and sanction them accordingly," he said.
Mr Bagoutou Djembele noted that it is economical feeding the local industries with the raw materials as they will produce goods (iron rods, wheelbarrows et al) at cost-effective rates rather than export them at negligible rates only to import its finished products at cut-throat prices and worse still, worsening an already bad balance of trade as a result of ceaseless importations.
