GSB Acquires New Weighbridge Verification Truck

The Ghana Standards Board (GSB) has acquired a weighbridge verification truck valued at GH¢ 310,000 to ensure fair trade and safety control measures.

He explained that legal weights and measures are fundamental to a sustainable trading economy, saying the concept of sales and purchase can not exist without weighbridges.

Mr Adu Gyamfi Darkwa, Executive Director of GSB, said these at a ceremony in Accra to dedicate the truck. The use of weighbridge is regulated under the Weight and Measures Decree of 1975 and administered by the Metrology Division of GSB.

Weighbridges are large, floor mounted weighing scale systems that can weigh entire vehicles and their contents.

Mr Darkwa said the Metrology Division started the verification of weighbridge in January 1991 to help address problems that exporters and other trading partners encountered as a result of inaccuracies in weight of bulk supplies.

He stated that GSB used to rent test weights from a private company, before acquiring a second hand weighbridge verification truck in October 2003, which has been in use till date.

'The growth in the demand for our services, coupled with the age of the truck demanded that we made the necessary investment to meet our statutory obligation and the needs of our clients,' the Executive Director added.

Mr Darkwa therefore pledged the verification truck will be properly maintained to enable GSB to reap the benefits for which it was acquired.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiative, noted that the weighbridge verification exercise engendered consumer and business confidence in the market to ensure that the consumers get what they paid for whilst businesses also benefit by reducing over supply of goods.

'In addition the verification ensures that vehicle axle weights on our roads conformed to the legal and highway requirements,' he added.

The Minister mentioned additional benefits of the weighbridges to include the safe disposal of household and chemical waste and urged the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to consider installing the equipment at their landfills for effective waste management.