Leslie Miller
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday threatened to quit the PLP if the government does not “stop the export of copper” from The Bahamas.
In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Miller said he is “sick and tired of begging the government” to “do something about this vexing problem”.
He said he has pleaded and begged the government for years, only to have his “cries fall on deaf ears”.
His comments to The Tribune came after he made an impassioned plea in the House of Assembly on Monday night, urging the government to ban copper export.
Mr Miller said he, with other business owners, has had “millions of dollars” in damage due to copper theft and it “seems the government does not care”.
“What is happening in this country with copper export is so damaging with the welfare of local enterprises in this country that something has to be done,” he told The Tribune. “We must stop the export of copper out of The Bahamas. When you consider the destruction the theft of copper has done, it is an utter disgrace that the government will not heed the cry of the business community, the church community and even homeowners.
“This is not the PLP that I know, this is not the government that I signed up to become a part of,” Mr Miller said. “As a member of the PLP, I am concerned about this and I may go elsewhere if nothing is done. We cannot take this suffering anymore. I spoke with the prime minister and I told him. He said he couldn’t believe it was that bad, but I told him nothing is working and the business people are wasting their money. Something has to be done or I may have to go somewhere else.”
Mr Miller said he believes the reason grocery bills and light bills are so high is not because of value added tax (VAT) but because of the amount of money businesses must spend to repair the damage from copper theft.
He said: “I spoke to Rupert Roberts at Super Value and he and I agreed that we would pay the thieves $10,000 a month to leave us alone. Because when they steal the copper and sell it they make nothing compared to the damage they cause. Robin Hood alone has had over $1 million in destruction.
“They dug up one of Rupert Roberts’ warehouses for copper,” he added. “I blame the exporters because they know these people are stealing the copper and they still buy it from them. It’s not just the food stores – its BTC, the churches, ZNS, BEC– every week the same thing. The government has not done a damn thing; they are oblivious to the cry of the people. This is not the party I know. The party I know listens to the people. They hear the cry of the people and do something about it. I am sick and tired. Enough is enough. Something needs to be done now.”
In 2011, widespread copper theft with other metals led the Ingraham administration ordering a scrap metal ban for 90 days and the export of copper permanently. The ban was later lifted and copper export was allowed under more stringent terms that came in an amendment to the Customs Management Act.
In March 2013, Mr Miller and Super Value owner Rupert Roberts held a joint press conference and called for a permanent copper export ban.
At the time, Mr Miller said copper theft would cause many businesses to close and leave Bahamians out of work. Mr Roberts said at the time that his stores lost almost $1 million in equipment and other costs due to copper theft.
PULL OUT QUOTE
“This is not the PLP that I know, this is not the government that I signed up to become a part of. As a member of the PLP, I am concerned about this and I may go elsewhere is nothing is done. We cannot take this suffering anymore. I spoke with the prime minister and I told him. He said he couldn’t believe it was that bad, but I told him nothing is working and the business people are wasting their money. Something has to be done or I may have to go somewhere else.” – Leslie Miller, Tall Pines MP
Comments
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 2 months ago
There is no reason to stop exporting copper. Miller is just so dumb. Control the commodity man. Shipping companies should not be allowed to ship copper without proof of proper licensing. Customs must ordered to properly examine every export.
It really is very simple and extremely easy to do.....
duppyVAT 9 years, 2 months ago
Miller is sincere when it comes to this issue ........... you had to feel his passion as he begged his senior Cabinet members to act on the copper issue. But again this is a Catch22 for the PLP.
Regardless 9 years, 2 months ago
There is not one copper mine in The Bahamas and therefore no reason to allow exports.
Emac 9 years, 2 months ago
What a misleading headline!
Publius 9 years, 2 months ago
True
thomas 9 years, 2 months ago
This is what he will quit over. I might go out and make sure that he does.
realfreethinker 9 years, 2 months ago
The shipping company won't stop it because the copper would have already been stolen. The only incentive is to stop the export. There will be no value in stealing it.
Publius 9 years, 2 months ago
Journalistically, this headline is a reach regarding Miller's statement. Miller runs off at the mouth as a matter of course. When he said he may go somewhere else, he most probably meant he will go to someone other than Christie, not that he would go to another party; and I'm almost certain that when asked about this, that's exactly the type of explanation he will give. The desperation to sell papers these days seems to be rife with the headlines these papers are coming up with. The words "I may quit the PLP" never came out of Miller's mouth. "I may go somewhere else" is far too ambiguous a comment coming from the likes of Miller for the Tribune to draw the conclusion it did in its headline.
TalRussell 9 years, 2 months ago
by TalRussell
Publius 9 years, 2 months ago
lol
John 9 years, 2 months ago
Did the pot cake just jump ship without a life raft? Everyone know this government is not going to stop the exports despite the millions of dollars it is draining out of the economy annually. And guess who benefits when you have to re-import copper or aluminum that was stolen. The same thing happened with the cash for gold operations. Those people were paying pennies on the dollar for gold. And persons were breaking into homes and businesses or doing armed robberies and taking gold and valuables worth thousands of dollars and selling to these cash for gold gangsters who quickly exported the stolen loot and probably sold it in a different country for hundreds times what they paid for it. Mr. Miller is right. No copper or aluminum is manufactured in this country. And because of the amount that has been stolen and exported there are no excess of these metals here. So who alone will suffer if even a temporary ban is placed on these metals save the copper and aluminum thieves?
TalRussell 9 years, 2 months ago
by TalRussell
spoitier 9 years, 2 months ago
He only have a problem with things if it is affecting him personally, how about quitting if people don't pay their light bill and then go out and pay yours while you are at it. How about having a problem with all of the money owed to BOB and then go out and pay what you owe. Other injustice is going on in the Bahamas but it doesn't means anything to him if it is not affecting him personally.
TalRussell 9 years, 2 months ago
Comrades if you happen to see a well-dressed Tall Pines PLP man voluntarily walking on a PLP's political leash, it just might be the self-described PLP "Pot cake." This PLP "Pot cake" voluntarily collects regular paychecks from the people's public treasury as a sitting PLP member of Parliament
He also voluntarily collects regular paychecks from the same people's public treasury, while serving as a PLP political appointee" Chairman of the PLP run BEC.
He himself, while not acknowledging the exact amount, has on a number of occasions publicly admitted to owing BEC (taxpayers funded) thousands of dollars in past due bills for electricity.
Not sure if he might also have a government (taxpayers) car to drive around in?
Some PLP leash to be hooked to?
DEDDIE 9 years, 2 months ago
Stop the export of copper. I recon that 90% of the copper exported is stolen.I had a 500 lb reel of wire stolen. It was too heavy to carry so they spend probably the entire night cutting it in pieces. They even steal the copper line connecting the gas tank to the stove at my mother's house.
John 9 years, 2 months ago
And how many persons are on dialysis or have dies from kidney failure from smelting copper improperly? They had to use the money they made to pay medical bills.
John 9 years, 2 months ago
And how many persons are on dialysis or have died from kidney failure from smelting copper improperly? They had to use the money they made to pay medical bills.
Economist 9 years, 2 months ago
They should put a 85% export tax on it.
TalRussell 9 years, 2 months ago
Comrade you of all surprise me. So, just levy another tax against "theft"? The more copper you steal the more tax the government collects? Even more tax revenue rolling-in public treasury, if you can get government to VAT da theft tax.
Economist 9 years, 2 months ago
I suspect that the tax would increase the cost to a point where there would be no buyers. No buyer means no reason to steal it.
TalRussell 9 years, 2 months ago
Oh really. People takes peoples lives, even if you "end of ya life tax them" by bringing back the black hooded hangman? The bible says that the poor people and da criminals will be with us to the very end world.
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