Department to inspect weighing scales

Department to inspect weighing scales

Vientiane Science and Technology Department is making preparations for random accuracy checks on scales in nine districts across Vientiane, with retail stores, markets, rice mills, as well as small and large factories to be inspected.

The department made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that they would coordinate with the Standards and Metrology Management Committee to check the scales ranging from 1kg to 500kg capacities.

The inspection is designed to ensure fairness, accuracy and transparency with the hopes of creating favourable conditions in the production stages.

According to the department, it also seeks to promote fair sales and exchange services, as well as quarantine legitimate rights to benefit business oper ators and consumers alike.

According to the department's Intellectual Properties, Standard and Metrology Division Head Mr Chanmala Souksanh, the department recently completed their annual checks in June and found 13 violating scales in Chanthabouly district, 17 violating scales in Sisattanak district, 25 violating scales in Sikhottabong district and 13 violating scales in Xaysettha district.

With a few also being found in Hadxaifong, Naxaithong, Sangthong, Pakngum and Xaythany districts.

The vendors who were in possession of these inaccurate scales were mostly using them to weigh fish and meat that they were selling to consumers, Mr Chanmala said.

The department officials called on these vendors to educate themselves on the regulations, form a contract or policy and replace inaccurate scales.

Mr Chanmala said the department hoped to do random scale checks in the nine districts in the coming weeks.

He said this was an issue due to vendors essentially cheating their customers through the use of maladjusted measuring equipment and scales.

Adding that, the amount of violating scales seen in Vientiane has noticeably decreased since 2010 as the department had taken a serious stance on these violations and had cracked down on the issue.

The department plans to install an official scale encased in a glass box at each market in the nine districts of Vientiane, with markets in Sisattanak, Sikhottabong, Chanthabouly and Xaysettha districts to be the first to receive the scales.

This enables consumers to weigh their own goods if they were suspicious of the accuracy of the weight, Mr Chanmala said.

He said although there was already an official scale at certain markets, many were worried that the market management committee had colluded with vendors to adjust the scales and continue cheating the customers.

However, the department provided official scales would hopefully put the consumers' minds at ease, Mr Chanmala said.

The project is set to begin in early 2015 but the department is currently awaiting the ministry's budget plan in order to go ahead with the implementation.

vientiane times