Although the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been executing its mandate to ensure that all weighing and measuring devices used in trade are verified (stamped), it relies on consumers to do their part in trade transactions to guarantee that they are provided with accurate measurements.
Daily, consumers visit the community shops, markets, supermarkets, and other retail outlets to purchase a variety of goods, such as rice, flour, sugar, meats, ground provisions, preserved fruits, and cooking oil by weights and measures.
Unfortunately, some consumers are not vigilant as they should be to ensure that the quantities given to them are what they have requested, and this needs to change.
The GNBS implores Consumers to take up the following roles when purchasing good by weights and measures:
- Buy goods from vendors who are using verified scales and other verified devices. If used properly, approved devices give correct weights or measures.
- Look for GNBS verification seals on devices. The affixed GNBS seals are one way of determining whether the device (scale) was verified.
- Make sure the device used to weigh or measure your goods is clean and tidy. Dirty devices often give inaccurate weights and measures and can cause the contamination of goods.
- Make sure that you can see the measuring indicator of scales. Ensure that the scale is positioned in a manner that will allow you to see the weighing process.
- Do not buy from vendors or shopkeepers using domestic (kitchen) scales. These scales are not approved for commercial trade because their internal mechanisms are quickly worn, hence they give inaccurate weights.
- Do not accept purchase if you have doubts about your weight or measure.
- Buy in metric quantities. Devices used in the market place are in metric units and by requesting goods in metric quantities you are assured of the amount of goods issued to you.
- Buy all solids by weight instead of volume. Rice, peas, and channa are solid goods and all solids must be weighed, not measured. Request these goods in grams and kilograms.
- Buy prepackaged goods that are labelled with the quantity (net contents). For example: 450 g, 1 kg, 3 litres, etc.
- Call the GNBS hotline or visit the Weights and Measures office in your Region and make your complaints if the need arises.
For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0065, 2190062 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org
