Standard scales must be introduced across all business sectors – GSA

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is urging businesses and agricultural enterprises to adopt the use of scales for transactions to ensure value for money.

“If the farmer sells according to weight and measures, he will eventually get his profit because, in this case, he knows how much he bought it. However, when you sell arbitrarily, you’ll incur losses. Selling according to precise weight and measures will help ensure fairness to the consumer and the farmer,” Dr John Danquah, acting head of Metrology at the GSA, explained in an interview with The Ghana Report on the sidelines of a multi-stakeholder dialogue in Accra on June 26, 2024.

The dialogue, part of the Research for Development and Innovation Agriculture and Learning (ReDIAL) project, funded by the European Union, focused on enhancing fair trade and consumer protection through weight and measures.

Countries such as the United States, Germany, China, and India have already integrated electronic weighing scales extensively across various sectors, from retail to industrial applications.

In October 2020, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) directed all licensed buying companies (LBCs) to adopt electronic weighing scales for purchasing cocoa beans from farmers.

This directive was aimed at eliminating suspicions of scale tampering by cocoa traders.

Advocates of electronic weighing scales, like Dr Danquah, highlight their accuracy as a cornerstone of fair trade, promising precise, real-time measurements that reduce errors and enhance transparency.

This accuracy is expected to bolster consumer confidence and foster a trustworthy marketplace environment.

Proponents also emphasise the operational efficiencies brought by electronic scales, which integrate seamlessly with modern inventory management systems to streamline stock control and supply chain logistics.

This is especially beneficial for sectors like agriculture and retail, where the exact measurement of goods is crucial for regulatory compliance and consumer trust.

However, critics point out significant challenges.

The initial investment required for purchasing and installing electronic scales poses a financial hurdle for many small businesses and rural markets.

Additionally, Ghana’s infrastructural landscape, characterised by intermittent power supply and logistical complexities, presents operational for widespread implementation of electronic scales.