Despite publicly naming Nyimba and African Milling as being found wanting for underweight Millie meal after the surveillance, the Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) has shielded and refused to name five (5) other companies that were found wanting for the first half of 2022.
However ZMA could only confirm that from the first quarter till date, five (5) companies whose pre-packaged products and measuring instruments were inspected were found wanting for compliances, and corrective action was taken in accordance with the law.
When asked why other companies have been named while others were named and information was made public, Chola Chilumba, the public relations officer stated that he could not name them due to the sensitivity of the matter.
He stated that the non-compliances were on packages such as mealie-meal, tile fix, peanut butter, and measuring instruments such as weighing scales among others. ZMA has for the year-to-date inspected three hundred thirty-three (333) companies for compliance of measuring instruments and Pre-packaged commodities.
Chilumba said for locally produced pre-packaged commodities, ninety-eight thousand five hundred and forty-three (98,543) products were inspected and recorded ninety-three percent (93%) compliance. The Agency also inspected seventy-three thousand and twenty-one (73,021) imported pre-packaged commodities and recorded ninety-eight percent (98%) compliance.
He told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, that in line with its mandate, the Agency undertook market surveillance of four thousand three hundred and forty-nine (4,349) pre-packaged commodities and recorded a ninety-two percent (92%) year to date.
He further added that Clients were engaged to enhance their internal quality control systems to ensure the measurements were accurate and consistent. Those found with inadequate packages were directed to repackage the products and also amend their inadequate labelling in cases where the labelling was non-compliant.
And he revealed that to strengthen these controls, the Agency has put in place enhanced sensitization programmes to train and re-emphasize the significance of adhering to the Metrology Regulations.
He said the Agency continues to focus on its core operational areas of Maintaining national standards and traceability to the International System of units, Providing calibration of process and quality control measuring instruments, Verifying measuring instruments used in commercial transaction law enforcement, health, safety and environmental management.
The Statutory inspections of measuring instruments and pre-packaged commodities in the sectors and sub-sectors of Petroleum Sub-Sector, Agriculture Sector, Mining Sector and Manufacturing Sector is one of the focuses of the Agency, he stated.
Analyst say there is no law that mandates ZMA to hold Information away from the public on which companies are found wanting. It actually defeats the purpose of the Agency if they fail to name then companies and products that are found wanting.
