Vendors, shopkeepers cooperating with weights officers – GNBS

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) says vendors, shopkeepers and other users of weighing and measuring devices have continued to submit their gadgets for verification during the second quarter of the year.

In a press release the GNBS said its Weights and Measures Officers and Inspectors conducted surveillance inspections at 3709 shops and stall at markets countrywide resulting in a total of 343 scales, 386 masses and 31 measures being seized. These devices were either not stamped for the first half of the year or were in an unacceptable condition which could result in some consumers being cheated during commercial transactions.

The GNBS also verified 1449 scales, 2703 masses and 19 measures during the second quarter of the year. Further, verification conducted in the petrol industry resulted in 58 pumps being checked at stations countrywide. Of these, 12 had to be calibrated since they were either under or over delivering fuel. At bulk fuel terminals, 33 bulk meters and three tanker wagons were calibrated.

Further, during the verification of devices and surveillance inspections officers continued to educate vendors and shopkeepers on the use of the metric system as the preferred system for trade. “Work done in this regard resulted in an increased number of businesses selling their commodities in metric quantities and sensitization activities will be intensified to facilitate the transition from imperial to metric,” the release said.

The GNBS said its officers will again conduct these exercises during the third quarter (July to September). Officers will be visiting the established mobile stamping locations countrywide to facilitate these checks. The public will be informed accordingly of the venue for stamping via the media.