The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has charged users of weighing and measuring instruments to ensure that consumers get correct quantity and value for their goods and services.
The charge was made on Monday in Lokoja by the Ministry’s Department of Weighing and Measurement in a statement.
The statement which was issued at the end of a four-day Post COVID-19 sensitisation exercise in Kogi State also called on the users to meet their obligations to the government.
The leader of the sensitisation team, Mr Okechukwu Ejiofor, an Assistant Director in the Department signed the statement.
He said that the objective of the exercise was to enlighten the stakeholders on their rights and responsibilities in the use of weighing and measuring instruments for trade.
He added that it was also to educate weighing and measuring instruments’ users on the effects of the ministry’s regulatory activities on their businesses.
“The exercise became necessary considering the fact that businesses will face challenges as they emerge from the lockdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Businesses mostly affected are those that use weighing and measuring instruments for trade.
“Such businesses include, but are not limited to LPG (domestic gas) retail outlets, manufacturers of prepackages like cement, bottled water, soft drinks and bread, and petroleum products retail outlets,” he said.
According to Ejiofor , weighing and measuring instruments’ users must ensure that they have valid certificates of verification and be up-to-date in the payment of necessary statutory fees to government.
Ejiofor said that it was unlawful to use a weighing or measuring instrument for trade without a valid certificate of verification issued by the Weights and Measures Department.