• New standardized meda has not yet been introduced to various markets.
• What is obtaining among traders concerning the use of the meda is not rejection but a phased way of rolling out the program.
• The Agency has up to the end of the second quarter to sensitize and monitor the response among traders.
Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) says the new standardized meda is still under observation and not yet introduced to various markets.
Agency Director Legal Humphrey Nkobeni told Money FM News that what is obtaining among traders concerning the use of the new standardized meda is not rejection but a phased way of rolling out the program.
“Once there is positive response from the marketeers on the new meda, the agency will then roll it out to other markets for fair trade between Customers and traders,” Mr. Nkobeni said.
Mr. Nkobeni further said the Agency has up to the end of the second quarter of this year to sensitize and monitor the response among traders and customers before rolling out the program to all markets across the country.
“We have not introduced the standardized meda to Soweto, we have only taken it to Chilenje Market, Chambeshi in Kasama District Northern Province, Chipata and Livingstone,” he added.
In 2019, Zambia Metrology Agency launched the Dry Measures Capacity Pilot Project also known as standardized meda in some selected markets aimed at encouraging fair trade.
However, some sections of society have complained that traders are not using the meda as recommended by the Agency claiming that the meda is too big and leading to losses in their businesses.