The Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) says the recently launched Standardized Meda project at Lusaka’s Chilenje Market will soon be rolled out to all markets across the Country.
Speaking to Money FM News in an interview, Agency Director Legal Metrology, Humphrey Nkobeni said 2, 000 marketeers are being targeted for the project with the aim of enabling them to adopt correct measurements and also help them to grow while protecting consumers from unfair trade practices.
Mr. Nkobeni explained that the Standardized Meda project was launched last year and Chilenje market was picked as a pilot, and that once the targeted number of Marketeers is achieved, the Agency will invite the private sector to come on board and start producing the Medas at a cost effective price so that traders are able to afford.
“The Zambia Metrology Agency, whose mandate is to regulate measurements across the country, we are focusing and helping all our local businesses. We started with marketeers we noticed that they were using different types of measurements.”
“We noticed that they were not using correct measurements, they were using any tin they would pick and that was making it impossible for them to grow. So we did a nationwide survey to find out what the marketeers were using and one of the names we picked it was meda. We have developed different capacities now, these standardized Medas were developed and are available in the country now,” Mr. Nkobeni said.
He said at the moment, there is no Statutory Instrument to regulate marketeers, but that after the targeted 2, 000 traders are given the available Medas for free and are trained, they will be regulated.
“Where we are now we are at a point where we need to roll out, so as I speak now we have the Medas and selected markets in different parts of the country will be given these Medas for free.”
“We are targeting 2, 000 marketeers across the country, the aim is that if they adopt correct measurements, we help them to grow at the same time as we are doing that we will be protecting the consumers,” he stated.
The Dry Measures Capacity Pilot Project also known as Standardized Meda was launched by Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr Christopher Yaluma, on May 20th 2019 at Chilenje market, in Lusaka.