The Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) says without the Media’s intervention, the campaign would not succeed explaining that media has the ability to reach a great number of people faster and better. Meanwhile, over 900 out of 800, 000 measuring and weighing instruments used in trade to verify accuracy failed the test of correctness. THE Zambia Weight and Measures Agency (ZWAMA) has embarked on an aggressive public and media awareness campaign in a bid to protect consumer rights.
Speaking at a media breakfast in Lusaka yesterday, ZWAMA executive director Himba Cheelo called on the media to help spread the message to the public.
Ms. Cheelo noted that without the Media’s intervention, the campaign would not succeed explaining that media has the ability to reach a great number of people faster and better.
“The campaign will be a success if we partner with the media because it has the power to reach a greater number of people even the ones in far reached places,” she said.
Ms. Cheelo further noted that consumers also have the responsibility to verify that the goods they purchase weigh as indicated.
And ZWMA senior metrologist Kennedy Simutowe urged consumers to be cautious and lodge their complaints to the agency so that offenders not complying with the law can be prosecuted.
He said the agency is working at signing a memorandum of understanding with the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABs) and Consumer Competition Protection Commission in order to enhance service delivery as their duties are inter-related.
Meanwhile, the ZWMA Executive Director revealed that over 900 out of 800, 000 measuring and weighing instruments used in trade to verify accuracy failed the test of correctness.
Ms. Cheelo said the measuring and weighing tools include fuel nozzles on dispensers at filling stations, weighbridges, storage tanks, tanker tracks, and trade scales.
She said the instruments that failed the test were locked with a seal and issued with rejection certificates as an indication of inaccuracy and being unfit for use in either weighing and measuring or measuring different commodities offered for sale.
Ms. Cheelo said over 700 trade scales out of 4,447 from various retail outlets, butcheries, abattoirs, bakeries and scales from the Food Reserve Agency verified in the same period also failed the test.
She said in the petroleum industry, about 1,590 fuel nozzles from 273 filling stations spread across the country have been verified and that the process is on-going as 864 fuel nozzles are yet to be verified.
The testing and verification was done in the first half of 2015.
Zambia Weights and Measures agency is a statutory body under the ministry of commerce, trade and industry which was established to protect consumer in relation to pre-packed commodities, approve the use of all types weighing and measuring instruments used in trade and undertake verification of the accuracy of the measuring instruments at prescribed intervals.
ZWAMA embarks on massive awareness campaign as over 900 weighing instruments fail test
