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Scraping for Scraps

18 December 2008

Scraps in PhuentsholingScrap owners work in a polluted environment, but more tormenting are the illegal scrap dealers who have almost ruined their business. The scrap dealers without their own license have outmaneuvered the local scrap dealers in Phuentsholing.

According to licensed scrap dealers, they must undergo strict formalities and pay a sales tax of 2% scraps whereas illegal scrap traders don’t.

“If the businessmen are allowed to trade illegally, there is no value of procuring license at all. We have been losing out our business to the businessmen from across the border and we are letting them take away our money without any tax,” said Tashi, the oldest scrap dealer in Phuentsholing.

Tashi said that a few years ago the government framed a rule that only the scrap dealers with licenses were allowed to do business. “Now the situation has completely changed. People are employing traders from across the border and Siliguri town to procure the scrap items directly from the factories in Bhutan,” said Tashi.

Sangla, the only scrap dealer in Pasakha, said that he could not do business because people sold illegally to dealers from across town. “I have procured scrap business license 12 years ago and so far I have never received any scrap items from the nearby industries,” said Sangla.

Sangla’s Scrap house was located in the heart of Pasakha where factories release several truckloads of scraps every month. According to Sangla, he never received any scrap. “It is discouraging the Bhutanese scrap dealers, who also lack a sense of brotherhood, from driving their business forward,” he said.

Sangla has switched to a different business. He has procured a workshop license to repair trucks which carry scrap items to the neighbouring towns of Jaigaon and Siliguri.

Tashi Norbu, another scrap dealer in Phuentsholing, said that his friends are not cooperating. “Instead of helping each other, our friends are procuring scrap licenses and renting it to the Jaigaon businessmen in order to discourage the local businessmen,” he said. He said that 90% of the scrap businesses were run by fronting licenses. According to him, only three scrap dealers operated the scrap business on their own, while the rest were run by fronting license. He added that apart from fronting rife there were other scrap dealers who came directly from Siliguri and Bilpara and dash the hopes of local businessmen in driving their business forward.

“Such illegal dealers went till Kharbandi gate and waited for the scrap suppliers from Thimphu. Before the trucks reach the scrap market, they persuade them to take directly to Jaigaon where the illegal dealers traded their scrap businesses,” said Sangla. Suppliers from Thimphu were easily deceived by illegal businessmen he said.

“While weighing the scrap items, the businessmen from across the border deceived the seller by using a flawed machine. And while counting the bottles, they count them very quickly and the number of bottles would be greatly reduced,” said Tashi Norbu.

By Sangay Wangchuk

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under News 

Comments

One Response to “Scraping for Scraps”

  1. Dawa on December 18th, 2008 10:05 pm

    This is the goodwill friendship of two countries bro!!!!!! Never mind.

    I hope government will not turn their ear to listen to your cry and help out.

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