Fake scales flood north

Oct 21, 2008

THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has seized more than 1,000 fake weighing scales in northern Uganda.

By Chris Ocowun

THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has seized more than 1,000 fake weighing scales in northern Uganda.

“In the last few months, we have seized more than 1,000 fake scales, mainly from meat-sellers.

“We have not yet gone into the shops and markets. We got the scales mainly in Gulu and Lira towns.

“They are made of aluminum materials from Kisenyi in Kampala and by local fabricators in Gulu,” Emmanuel Agetta, the UNBS regional manager, told reporters over the weekend.

Agetta disclosed that the scales would be destroyed.

He explained that UNBS would find a supplier of genuine scales that would be sold to the traders countrywide.

“We want to get rid of all the fake scales in the markets and replace them with genuine ones.

“We have failed to identify a supplier of genuine scales in Uganda, We have identified one in Nairobi. “He will give us the genuine scales as soon as possible,” the regional manager said.

Agetta disclosed that thousands of traders use fake scales. However, he promised that all fake scales would be eliminated by November.

“After that, we will double punish any trade using fake scales; we shall seize the scales and take the owner to court,” he added.

Agetta also disclosed that the region had also been flooded with fake expired goods. “Many of these expired consumable goods such as Blue Band and spices are at the border markets,” he added.

Agetta said traders were selling the expired goods mainly at night using candles to cheat unsuspecting buyers.

He displayed underweight bags of posho, which he said were seized from Wakabih Millers.

Uganda is grappling with the influx of cheap fake imports, which local manufacturers say are stifling growth of local industries.

“Counterfeiting is grave in developing economies like Uganda which is one of the largest consumers,” said Moses Sebunya, the UNBS publicist, recently.

He explained that most of the fake products originate from the Far East countries.

They include foods and beverages and electric cables, all of which pose health safety problems.

They are packaged and labeled in ways that leave consumers and the original manufacturers unlikely to differentiate them.

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