Md Jaber lives in Mirpur. Like every day, he went to buy some commodities for his family. He purchased 1 kg of chickpea and mung dal each from a shop. On return home, he found that he got 100 grams less in both items.
As the shop was near his home, he went back there. But the shop owner said he did not make any mistake, claiming that it was a fault in the weight machine.
Once manual weighing scale was very common, but the method of measuring weight has converted to digital scale to fix tampering in the market. So, digital weight machines are used widely across the country.
Every day people buy groceries from the local market, but anyone hardly notices if the seller is attempting any scam. There is no one to oversee whether there is any fault in the weight machine or if someone is manipulating it.
As per the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) recent data, inflation was 9.69 per cent in July. The people's purchasing power is decreasing day by day. The prices of daily essentials are increasing, and price hike has dealt a severe blow to the common people.
Who deals with this issue?
One of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) metrology inspectors said that they register machines upon purchase and monitor whether they provide accurate weight measurements and calibrate them if any issue is being observed.
Legal Metrology is part of the BSTI Metrology Wing. Its main responsibilities are providing verification and calibration services for weights and measures used in transactions of trade and commerce. These activities are carried out under the laws of Weights and Measures Law, 2018 and the Standards of Weights and Measures Rules 1982.
To maintain the accuracy of weighing and measuring instruments used in trade and commerce, BSTI Metrology Wing conducts regular mobile courts and special surveillance operations to ensure customer rights.
The activities of Legal Metrology are maintenance of standards of weights and measures with international traceability, verification and calibration of weights and measures and measuring instruments used in commercial transactions, issuance of registration certificate of manufacturer, repair and supplier of metric weighing and measuring instruments, implementation of Metric System (SI– International System of Units) weights and measures throughout the country.
BSTI verified 258,150 weights and measuring instruments used in different markets and trades, according to a BSTI annual report for 2022-2023.
Under this programme, regular verification work is carried out, and fees are collected for the commodity market, filling stations, underground storage tanks, and similar entities.
BSTI takes a minimum fee for the registration process which is 0-5 kg Tk 100, 5-50 kg Tk 200, 50-500 kg Tk 300, 500kg-2 tonnes Tk 500 etc with 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT).
If anyone gives a short measure, he/she will be fined Tk 1 lakh or 1 year imprisonment, according to the Weights and Measures Standards Act 2018.
However, BSTI could not provide any data on fines as they only fine formal businesses and oversee informal commences. Though there are rules for packaged products, there are no rules or regulations for loose products purchased from the open market.
Unregulated market
As BSTI regulates the certification and authentication of the digital scaling how customers can know that the seller gives actual weight?
During a field visit, it was found that weighing machines are sold without any certification process in Dhaka’s various wholesale and retail markets.
Different hardware shops located in Mohakhali and Kachukhet are selling these machines without any hindrance. The shopkeeper mentioned that no approval was required to sell these machines. They sell it for Tk 2500-5000 in the market.
“Many hawkers and vendors buy this weight machine from us, but no one needs any kind of certification or documents. Anyone who pays the price, we sell it to them,” said a seller at Mohakhali kitchen market.
Ghulam Rahman, president of the Consumer Association Bangladesh (CAB) said, “Getting the right weight is our right and BSTI should ensure that. The present situation is unsatisfactory. BSTI should conduct more drives at the market and more mobile courts should be launched by the authority.”
What customers can do?
If the buyer does not get accurate weight, then he can file a complaint with the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP). DNCRP considers the complaint and takes the necessary steps.
Under Sections 46 to 49 of Consumers' Right Protection Act-2009, anyone shall be fined Tk 50,000, sentenced to one-year imprisonment or with both if he/she sells or supplies a product to the consumer at a weight less than the promised weight. NCRP also gives 25 per cent of the fine to the complainant.
