Cable and Metal theft

A joint task force consisting of officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Fiji Police Force are working with critical infrastructure stakeholders Telecom Fiji Limited, Water Authority of Fiji and Energy Fiji Ltd to address the issue of cables and metal thefts.

Visitations are also being conducted to scrap metal buying companies to remind operators not to accept copper, aluminum, brass and other materials suspected to belong to the three critical infrastructure companies.

Members of the public are reminded that under the Scrap Metal Trade Act Section 5 (1) that it is an offence for any person or body who trades or attempts to trade or solicits another person to trade any public infrastructure without the approval of the Licensing Authority shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction in the case of a natural person to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both, and in the case of a company to a fine not exceeding $100,000.

Scrap metal dealers are also warned it is an offence to buy any public infrastructure metal from any person who is not authorised by the Licensing Authority and shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable upon conviction in the case of a natural person to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both, and in the case of a company to a fine not exceeding $100,000.