News

Amended Weights and Measures Act and Regulations 
Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 10:00 AM

Media Statement by Mr Teo Nam Kuan, Group Director, Quality & Standards, SPRING Singapore at the Media Briefing on Amended Weights and Measures Act and Regulations on 20 April 2006 at Board Room, SPRING.

Introduction

1. Welcome to the media briefing on the Amended Weights and Measures Act and Regulations. Before I go into the details of the amendments, allow me to share with you briefly the role, functions and achievements of SPRING Singapore's Weights and Measures Programme.
2. While the programme is now managed by the Weights and Measures Office under the purview of SPRING Singapore, we have an interesting history that is as old as Singapore. As early as the 19th Century, the Weights and Measures Office or WMO began as part of the Police Force. It was later transferred to the Ministry of Finance and then the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1970 and 1981 respectively. In 2000, the function was subsumed under SPRING Singapore.
3. Since then, the administration and maintenance of an accurate system of weights and measures have played a key role in driving the growth of trade and commerce, and in turn, the economy of Singapore.

   Role and Achievements

4. At SPRING, we have a team to manage the Weights and Measures Programme under the Weights and Measures Act and Regulations. Our role is to ensure fair trade and correct excise tax computations for petrol and diesel for domestic consumption. The programme also ensures a uniform and accurate system of weights and measures, so that consumers and traders get exactly what they pay for when they buy goods that are weighed, measured or pre-packaged.
5. We instill consumer and trader confidence in the fairness of the trading system by:
   • Verifying for accuracy; and stamping and sealing new and repaired weighing and measuring instruments used for trade. This prevents tampering and shows consumers that the instruments have been approved for trade use
   • Inspecting weighing and measuring instruments for trade use for inaccuracies and ensure that they have not been tampered with
   • Inspecting pre-packaged goods or goods sold by weight or measure for short weights and measures
   • Investigating complaints from consumers or traders about short weights and measures.
6. The Weights and Measures Programme has been effective in achieving its objectives of ensuring consumers and traders get fair weights and measures when buying goods that are weighed, measured or pre-packaged. Since SPRING took over the function in 2000, the number of infringements has dropped by more than 70% - from 11 in 2000 to six in 2005.

   Review of the Programme and Changes to the Act

7. To ensure that weights and measures legislation remain relevant and keep pace with market changes, we have been doing periodic reviews in consultation with all stakeholders since 2001. The reviews resulted in five key changes.
8. First is the Launch of the Authorised Verifier or AV Scheme. Before the introduction of this scheme, all trade-related weighing and measuring instruments had to be sent to SPRING Singapore's Weights & Measures Office (WMO) for verification after being repaired or manufactured. With the new AV Scheme, interested private sector bodies such as manufacturers and repairers of weighing and measuring instruments will now be designated by SPRING to handle the verification of weighing and measuring instruments for trade use. This gives businesses a wider choice of service providers, which will reduce the turnaround time and compliance costs.
9. The second change is the Deregulation of Mandatory Licensing. As the accuracy of weighing and measuring instruments will now be regulated at the AV level, there is no longer a need to issue licences for manufacturers and repairers of weighing and measuring instruments. This will reduce their cost of doing business.
10. The third change is the Affixation of Accuracy Label on all weighing and measuring instruments. To further boost the confidence of consumers and businesses alike, an Accuracy Label will now be affixed on all weighing and measuring instruments for trade use. This provides visual indication that the instruments have been checked for accuracy, and are therefore fit for trade use. With 40,000 weighing and measuring instruments in the market, we expect to complete affixing most of the instruments by the end of 2006.
11. The fourth amendment involves Replacing the Minimum Quantity System (MQS) with the Average Quantity System (AQS) for pre-packaged goods. According to the MQS, the content in a pre-package must be equal or exceed the declared net weight marked on the packaging. As it is difficult for manufacturers of pre-packed goods to ensure their automatic packaging machines churn out the exact quantity every time, they tend to set the machines slightly higher and give a greater quantity than required so that they can comply with the MQS. Inadvertently, this cost is sometimes passed down to consumers.
12. In comparison, the AQS allows slight fluctuations, or what is known as permissible errors. As long as the average reading of all the packages in the same lot is the weight stated on the package, it would be acceptable. For example, in a sample lot of 100 packages of 50g crackers, one or two may be 48g, while others may be 55g. If the average weight of all 100 packs amount to 50g, the whole lot can be sold. Thus, AVS enables pre-packaged goods manufacturers to set their machines at the optimal setting and enjoy higher productivity and savings.
13. As the AQS is currently used by many countries, adopting the same system will facilitate trade. It will help local enterprises, both importers and exporters, as they no longer have to go for re-test and re-certification to show that their pre-packaged goods are of the right weight or measure.
14. Last, the Metrication Order will no longer be enforced. The Weights and Measures (Sale of Goods in Metric Units) Order was introduced in 1981 as the standard for measurements. However, given the current widespread use of metric units, there is no longer a need for such an order.

    Industry Feedback on the Amended Act

15. The changes above took effect from 1 January 2006. For the past three months, SPRING has taken steps to inform and gather feedback from industry. So far, feedback has been positive. Many manufacturers, repairers and businesses welcome the new changes. They believe that changes like the AV Scheme and the replacement of the Minimum Quantity System (MQS) with the Average Quantity System (AQS) will do away with additional manpower and transportation costs incurred by their customers. The scheme will also help them improve their competitiveness by reducing operational costs.

    Conclusion

16. To sum up, businesses will now be able to enjoy faster turnaround time and lower compliance costs with the changes which I have just highlighted.
17. Consumers too will benefit. With the appointments of AVs, more weighing and measuring instruments can be verified and made available for use. This will result in faster service at petrol stations, check-in counters at Changi airport, post offices and supermarkets.
18. Mr Michael Ong, Director of the Consumer Product Safety and Weights and Measures Division, will give more details on the key changes in his presentation.
19. Thank you.