Only scrap metal dealers who have secured required licenses will be allowed to operate, Murang’a County Industrial Development Officer Mr. David Mbithuka has said.
Speaking during a vetting exercise on Thursday, Mbithuka warned some dealers of going against the law to operate without having the license from the Scrap Metal Council (SMC).
In Murang’a, the officer stated that by now only three dealers have gotten the license saying vetting of all those who have applied was going on and expected to be concluded in the next few days.
“So far 20 dealers have applied for the license. County committee in charge of the exercise is going round and vetting the dealers. We request all those who have applied to have the needed documents so that they can be issued with the SMC license,” said Mbithuka.
He explained that once one meets the requirements, the license is processed within two days and asked the security team to work with his office in order to stop those trading with scrap metal without license.
Enumerating some of the requirements, Mbithuka said the dealers are required to have a Scrap Metal Dealers Association membership number and certificate as well as a business registration certificate.
“They should also have a business permit, plot title or lease agreement, Tax Compliance Certificate and details such as KRA PIN and Certificate of Good Conduct,” he added.
He told those who were being vetted to have detailed records of all their scrap metal sales and purchases including the name and ID number of the person buying or selling the scrap metal.
“The dealer should know the source of the scrap metal they are dealing with and capture the details of the person selling to them, which include name, phone number, address and source of the metal,” he added.
Another key requirement by SMC is detailed signposts indicating that they are authorized scrap metal dealers and displaying their license number.
He asked those who want to deal with scrap metals of copper and aluminum to have another license adding that the license also has to conform to NEMA’s environmental laws and regulations.
A dealer applies for the license at a cost of Sh.250, 000, while a collector of scrap metal parts with Sh50, 000 for a license.
The government came up with strict measures in an effort to curtail vandalism of key infrastructure including electric poles, road guard and rails among others.
Some dealers are complaining about the vetting exercise saying it’s tedious thus continuing to keep them out of business.
By Bernard Munyao
