Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Chairman Leslie Miller and Super Value owner Rupert Roberts yesterday called on the government to place a permanent ban on the export of copper.
Miller said copper thieves have caused businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
"We must stop immediately the export of all copper from Commonwealth of The Bahamas," he said at a press conference at Super Value headquarters in Golden Gates.
"If the government doesn't do it many businesses are going to close down and Bahamians are going to lose their jobs.
"I guess if the government doesn't do anything about it then they are going to find jobs to replace those people who would have lost their jobs through theft.
"I don't think the prime minister and his Cabinet would wish to have that done. Therefore, you do the right thing by putting a ban on the export of copper. It's very simple, you know. Just do it."
Miller said any scrap metal dealer who buys stolen metal should be locked up.
In July 2011, the Ingraham administration placed a temporary ban on the scrap metal trade and a permanent ban on copper export in response to the rise in copper theft.
The former government later lifted the copper ban and amended the Customs Management Act to allow for copper exports under stringent conditions.
But Miller said more must be done to crack down on brazen copper thieves who repeatedly rob the same establishments and government agencies.
He urged government ministers not to be swayed by the pleas of scrap metal dealers.
Miller said BEC has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of copper and equipment due to repeated theft.
His family-owned business Mario's Entertainment Palace has also been robbed of copper, he said.
Roberts said his stores have lost almost $1 million in equipment and other costs associated with copper theft.
He said he has done what he could to prevent layoffs or permanent store closures because of repeated attacks from thieves.
"Copper thieves seem to have the government and the police on their knees and they seem helpless to do anything about it," Roberts said.
"Merchants feel that the police and the government are not listening to their cries for help. For the past five years copper thieves have been disrupting businesses, homes, government agencies -- especially BEC, BTC, ZNS and others -- by ripping out equipment made of or containing copper.
"Thieves at different times have disabled most of our stores. When thieves steal equipment, it has the potential of closing the store for months, putting 40 to 50 people out of work.
"Also, if the disruption is not caught in time you can lose up to half a million of perishables for lack of refrigeration.
"Also, you have to replace thousands of dollars of freon which they release into the environment when they cut or break the copper tubing."
Roberts said thieves have completely disabled the Super Value location on Wulff Road five times. The latest theft occurred last Wednesday.
He called on the government to join other countries in the region and permanently ban copper export.

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