Scrap metal crisis in Thiès: Local stakeholders denounce the "dictatorship" of foreign factories

The scrap metal sector is going through a particularly difficult period, according to those based in Thiès. Cheikh Yalli, president of the number 2 scrap metal dealers' association, has spoken out to denounce a situation he considers increasingly worrying since the establishment in Senegal of scrap metal recycling plants belonging to foreign investors.

According to him, the arrival of these industrial units was initially seen as an opportunity to develop the sector. "We thought that the installation of these factories would allow scrap metal dealers to develop their activities. But the exact opposite has happened," he laments.

Sheikh Yalli recalls that before these factories were established, Senegalese scrap metal dealers could export their scrap directly abroad, an activity that allowed them to make a better living. However, the situation has changed drastically with the export restrictions. “Today, we can no longer export our products. We are forced to sell our scrap metal to factories located in Senegal. They impose their prices on us, which are very low, and this plunges us even further into poverty,” he maintains.

The president of the association also accuses some of these factories of failing to honor the commitments made during their establishment. He claims, in particular, that they had promised to recycle heavy scrap metal, only to discover that they were buying this material and then re-exporting it to other countries. For Cheikh Yalli, this situation amounts to exploiting Senegalese scrap metal dealers for the benefit of foreign companies, and he believes that the activity of local businesses has significantly declined since the arrival of these recycling units.

In his complaint, the head of the scrap metal dealers criticizes the lack of response from the authorities and questions the attitude of the Minister of Industry and Trade, Serigne Guèye Diop, who, according to him, has not done enough to regulate the sector and protect the interests of local businesses. Cheikh Yalli directly appeals to the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, asking him to take measures to regulate the activities of recycling plants and restore balance to the sector. His main demand remains the reopening of scrap metal exports: "We are asking the State to allow us to export our products again so that we can sell them abroad ourselves," he pleads.

His colleague Tidiane Diao echoed this sentiment, stating that the difficulties faced by professionals date back to 2022, with the arrival and expansion of these factories. According to him, these industrialists are not honoring their commitments to Senegalese scrap metal dealers and are exerting a strong influence on the market. "They manipulate the price of scrap metal as they see fit," he denounced, calling for urgent intervention from the government. Tidiane Diao urged the State to strengthen its oversight of the sector in order to put an end to what he described as exploitation and to guarantee better protection for national stakeholders.