Women Decry Defective Scales in Markets

The weighing scales do not give the accurate measurements for the goods they buy.

Recently, women have expressed disapproval with market traders after identifying the use of a faulty weighing scale which does not give the accurate measurement for the goods that they buy. Most of the scales are used by meat sellers as well as retailers of rice, flour, fresh fish and other basic commodities.

This complain has been long standing and customers said nothing is being done by the market police to ensure the right measures are used while faulty scales are withdrawn from the markets and stores. When CT approached the Fako Divisional Delegation of Trade in Limbe whose role is to correct the wrongs in the market settings, the Delegate, Tabi Godfred Betek, said the scale which is at the centre of the complains raised is the blue scale which is not to be used for commercial purposes but in homes.

He added that the right kind of scales to be used by traders is the electronic scale. Electronic scales, he said, are mostly found in cold stores. The Divisional Delegate said they have seized those blue-coloured scales in the markets but the sellers still go on to buy them again because they are less expensive. On the other hand, he pursued, some traders have the money to buy the electronic scales but they do not know where to find them because they really are not available.

During controls by the Trade Delegation, Tabi Godfred Betek disclosed that when they get to the market, they check the equilibrium of the scale especially used by meat sellers and if it is not balanced, it is considered to be faulty. The sensibility of the balance as well as weights used on it, are also checked.

Mr Tabi sympathised with small traders who retail rice and flour that it would be difficult to acquire electronic scales.