During this busy shopping season, it is customary for consumers to engage in the purchase of goods by Weights and Measures. Although the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been executing its mandate to ensure that all weighing and measuring devices used in trade are verified (stamped), consumers have their roles and responsibilities to guarantee that they are not given short weights and measures. The following are ten of these: 1. Buy goods from vendors who are using verified scales and other verified devices. Verified devices, if used properly, give correct weight or measure. 2. Look for GNBS verification seals on devices. The affixed GNBS seals are one way of determining whether the device (scale) was verified. 3. Make sure the device used to weigh or measure your goods is clean and tidy. Dirty devices often give inaccurate weights and measures and can cause contamination of goods. 4. Make sure that you can see the measuring indicator. Ensure that the scale is positioned in a manner which will allow you to see the weighing process. 5. Do not buy from vendors or shopkeepers using the domestic (kitchen) scales. The scales are not approved for commercial trade because their internal mechanisms are quickly worn, hence they give inaccurate weights. 6. Do not accept purchase if you have doubts about your weight or measure. 7. Buy in metric quantities. Devices used in the market place are in metric units and by requesting goods in metric quantities you are assured of the quantity of goods issued to you. 8. Buy all solids by weight instead of measure. Rice, peas and channa are solid goods and all solids must be weighed, not measured. Request these goods in grammes and kilogrammes. 9. Buy prepackaged goods that are labeled with the quantity (net contents). For example: 450 g, 1 kg, 3 Litres, etc. 10. Call the GNBS hotline or visit the Weights and Measures office in your Region and make your complaints if the need arises. For further information please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0065, 2190062.
