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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1988
MAJOR STEP IN GOVT'S CONSUMER PROTECTION PROGRAMME
THE BRINGING INTO EFFECT OF THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE ON JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR PROVIDES AN ESSENTIAL, BASIC ELEMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION BY PROMOTING THE USE OF ACCURATE WEIGHING AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING THE USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM.
AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR STEVE BARCLAY, SAID THIS TODAY (TUESDAY).
THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN JULY LAST YEAR AND GAZETTED LAST FRIDAY (DECEMBER 23).
IT GIVES CONSUMERS PROTECTION AGAINST FRAUDULENT OR UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES IN CONNECTION WITH QUANTITY WHICH INCLUDES MASS OR WEIGHT, LENGTH, WIDTH, HEIGHT, AREA, VOLUME, CAPACITY AND NUMBER.
THE ORDINANCE REPLACES THE FORMER WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, OVER 100 YEARS OLD, WHICH RELATED ONLY TO BRITISH IMPERIAL AND CHINESE UNITS.
"THE RIGHTS GIVEN UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE TO CONSUMERS ARE A CREAT IMPROVEMENT OVER THOSE CONTAINED IN THE OLD, OUT-DATED LEGISLATION, MR BARCLAY SAID.
HE SAID THAT ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE NEW ORDINANCE WAS THAT THE STANDARDS OF MEASUREMENTS WERE BASED ON THE METRIC SYSTEM, BUT IT WOULD ALLOW COMMON UNITS OF THE CHINESE AND BRITISH IMPERIAL SYSTEMS TO BE USED.
"ULTIMATELY, IT IS GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION NON-METRIC UNITS BUT THIS WILL BE DONE AS AND WHEN APPROPRIATE, HE ADDED.
ΤΟ PHASE OUT CONDITIONS ARE
THE SCHEDULES
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD AMENDED TO THE ORDINANCE TO LEGALISE THE EXISTING CONVERSION FACTOR OF TAEL TO 37.429 GRAMMES THAT HAD TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED IN GOLD OTHER PRECIOUS METALS TRANSACTION.
THE AND
THIS IS APPROXIMATELY ONE PER CENT LESS THAN THE STATUTORY METRIC EQUIVALENT OF THE TAEL.
THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES THAT THE SUPPLY OF GOODS OF A QUANTITY LESS THAN THAT PURPORTED IS AN OFFENCE, AS WILL BE THE GIVING OF ANY INDICATION MATERIALLY FALSE OR MISLEADING AS TO THE QUANTITY OF GOODS.
MR BARCLAY NOTED THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONSUMER COUNCIL HAD EXPENDED A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT IN PROCESSING THE LEGISLATION AND PROMOTING THE CONSUMERS' AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE.
"CONSUMERS WHO