Home News Ask business for discount if “scale doesn’t have the sticker” – GNBS...
…unverified scales would not be stamped as of April 1
Sellers are expected to have their scales verified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) before they put them on display for sale in their supermarkets, shops, and stores.
This was explained to councillors of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) by GNBS Regional Officer Brian Kellawan.
According to Kellawan, the Bureau charges a fee of $2500 to have the scales checked and verified before going on sale. The verification takes place twice annually.
The regional officer provided that information to the RDC following complaints of ‘high fees’ being charged by the Bureau to have scales stamped. Owners of scales that are used for commercial purposes are required to pay $5000 annually to GNBS for the scales to be verified. Kellawan disclosed the verification is done twice annually. According to Kellawan, unverified scales could be seized by the bureau. However, he noted that the period for verifying scales came to an end on March 31.
“As from April 1, we would not be stamping scales,” he told the RDC.
Addressing the issue of scales purchased after March 31, Kellawan noted that the bureau will not put a verification stamp on them, and pointed out that the seller should ensure that those scales sold for commercial use have already been verified and stamped by GNBS.
Asked what would happen if GNBS did not stamp those scales, Kellawan said that, in such cases, the customer should ask the seller for a discount equivalent to the fee charged by GNBS to have the scales verified.
“Ask businesses…for a discount if the scale doesn’t have the sticker,” he told the gathering.
Noting that the bureau is responsible for the quality of goods imported into Guyana, Region Six Chairman David Armogan pointed out that it would be the fault of GNBS for the poor quality of weighing devices that are entering the country. He made this comment after some councillors had spoken of the poor quality of scales being offered on the local market.
“We can’t stop it from coming in at the moment, because they are coming in for household use,” Kellawan told the RDC.
The initial verification involves the inspection and verification of locally manufactured and imported measuring instruments to ensure conformance to manufacturing or importation requirements, and to determine accuracy prior to use. The activities are conducted twice per year to ensure that measuring instruments used are approved for their intended purposes, are in proper working condition, and are producing accurate results, as required by Section 11 of the 1981 Weights and Measure Act, the Bureau said in a release.
Kellawan explained that the bureau does not examine scales that are being imported for household use. However, those same scales are being purchased and sold as commercial scales. He noted that many scales are imported for household use, but are utilised by people selling chicken as commercial scales.
Meanwhile, after being told that GNBS also checks on the compatibility and quality of household appliances imported, Regional Vice-Chairman Zamal Hussain pointed out that a major store has imported and been selling gas stoves that cannot be used locally.
“They brought in some gas stoves that can’t work in the country, and they are selling them. What measures are you taking about that?” Hussain asked.
Kellawan said the bureau only checks for the labelling aspect of the commodity being imported. He pointed out that the verification is not done by the bureau, but verified products are stamped. The bureau, he pointed out, checks for that verification stamp. (G4)
