THE Weights and Measurements Agency (WMA) has affirmed its dedication to carrying out unannounced inspections across a range of locations with the aim of apprehending traders who engage in the manipulation of measurements for their own advantage.

This was unveiled yesterday in Dar es Salaam by WMA Ilala Regional Manager, Muhono Nashon, during the celebration of World Measurement Day held at the Ilala market.

 World measurement day is celebrated every 5th of May every year and in Tanzania, WMA has been celebrating by doing various activities such as providing education on correct measurements in various markets.

The manager said that many measurements are used in market places and that is why WMA has decided to provide education to Ilala market traders where some groups were given free scales as an incentive to use verified scales.

"Those who tamper with measurements, we plead them to stop because the current law is strict and the penalty has been increased, we want them to make sure their scales have been checked by placing a sticker from the WMA, one offense of tampering with the scales ranges from a fine of 100,000 to 20 million, so if a businessman is fined like this, it is obvious that he will shake commercially," he said.

He said awareness about correct measurements has increased to a large extent and many traders have started using scales verified by the agency.

"When we provide this education, we want all people to stop using local scales and use the correct and verified scales and when we do a search and find people using invalid scales, we have been giving severe punishments, so traders should not wait for us to do a search, they should obey the law," he said.

He said that the origin of the measurement day celebration was 17 nations that met in 1875 and decided to sign a measurement justice agreement so that there would be correct measurements around the world.

"The goal of these countries was to set the standards of measurements in the world, so that if you go to a certain country, you find that the measurements used are the same as those used in different countries," he said.

The Chairperson of the Ilala Market, Ali Mbiku congratulated the WMA for its decision to educate the traders of his market so that they can use the verified scales.

"Personally I will continue to give motivation to the traders of this market to use the right scales so that the time will come where everyone in this market will have a scale verified by the agency so that the buyer can get value for money," he said.

The Ilala Administrative Secretary Charangwa Selemani asked the businessmen to stop tampering with the tests as strict measures will be taken for those found out.

Charangwa said for a long time the government has been encouraging the use of correct measurements for traders by using scales with the WMA sticker and which are correct.

"It is very common for traders in the markets o use local measurements, so we have started to provide education so that they can abandon those behaviors and we have provided that an incentive of five scales verified by WMA for five groups of traders," she said.

"We call on all traders to stop using incorrect measurements (lumbesa) and to stop tampering with the scales and buyers should seek correct scales from whenever they buy goods, because sometimes you get cheated," she said.

She praised the WMA for providing regular education to traders as it builds awareness about the importance of the correct use of measurements to avoid fines.