‘Underweight products affecting export market’
Isaac Salima:
Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has said underweight products could be negatively affecting the country’s chances of exploring the export market.
MBS Director General, Symon Mandala, made the remarks on Friday in Blantyre during commemoration of the World Metrology Day.
“If our country is to export, the products have to be properly packed. If we export underweight products, we are against government vision of increasing export because people will no longer trust us,” he said.
Mandala said MBS took advantage of the day to send a message on the need for players in the industry to adhere to professional standards.
“We are there to make sure that we are doing things properly like having calibrated measuring instruments, checking underweight [products] so that consumers are not duped. The issue of underweight on the market is big but we are facing it head-on,” Mandala said.
Projects and Maintenance Engineer of K&G Engineering, Kephas Chiona, said traders should make sure that measuring instruments are checked in order to give right quantity.
“As players, we have to follow standards at all time so that our consumers should have confidence in us. Consumers also need to be always attentive when getting products or services that require measurements so that they get what they deserve,” Chiona said.
The day is commemorated on May 20 every year but in the country, the commemoration was on September 27.
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