Exposed: How butchers tamper with weighing scales

DAR ES SALAAM: The Weights and Measures Agency (WMA) has revealed a disturbing trend where customers might be paying more for less meat at butcher shops.

The agency has discovered that the placement of hanging fans can significantly affect the accuracy of weighing scales.

The wind from these fans can push down the scale’s plate, leading to incorrect readings and unfair transactions.

“There was a time when we received numerous complaints about inaccurate weighing scales in butcher shops. We later discovered that even fans were contributing to this issue. After identifying the cause, we are now advising butchers to position their weighing scales correctly to avoid such problems,” said WMA Chief Executive Officer Alban Kihulla in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

He made these remarks during a regular conference organized by the Treasury Registrar’s Office, which was aimed at discussing the progress and challenges faced by various institutions under its purview.

“I want to emphasize the importance of ensuring accuracy in weighing scales to guarantee fairness for all consumers,” Kihulla asserted.

Highlighting the agency’s achievements, Kihulla noted that the WMA has consistently contributed to government revenue through annual dividends.

In the 2018/19 financial year, the authority contributed 4 billion/-, with projections indicating an increase to 7.7 billion/- for the current financial year (2024/25).

“This is a significant achievement, as the revenue generated supports the implementation of various development projects,” he added.

Additionally, Kihulla assured that the WMA continues to meticulously monitor imported fuel consignments.

This oversight begins when the fuel is still on vessels and continues through to its offloading at the Dar es Salaam Port and subsequent storage in the country’s depots.

In the 2019/20 financial year, the WMA inspected 29 oil tankers, and this number increased to 64 tankers in 2022/23.

Over the past four years, the authority has inspected a total of 27 billion liters of imported fuel, with 14 billion liters designated for domestic consumption and 13 billion liters in transit to neighboring countries.

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“Another success is the increased public awareness regarding the laws and regulations on weights and measures,” Kihulla noted.

Kihulla also called on the public to cooperate with the agency by providing information that could help identify dishonest traders who tamper with weighing scales and measurements. He further revealed that just last week, they apprehended dealers involved in selling underfilled gas cylinders following inspections of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) containers.

The WMA, an Executive Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is tasked with protecting consumers through legal metrology. It was transformed from a department into an agency in May 2002.