Over 50 per cent of measure facilities used in market-places are not due to standards in Moldova

Chisinau, 26 July /MOLDPRES/ – Approximately 54 per cent of the measuring instruments used in Moldova's markets, checked by the Consumer Protection Agency (APC) for the first half 2017, proved to be non-compliant with technical requirements. The sellers used "inadequate, unlawful or non-metrological means of measurement," said Grigore Cater, Deputy Director of the Consumer Protection Agency, at a news conference today.

The official added that in the first half of 2017 a total of 902 scales and other measuring instruments were checked. The controls showed that 82.9 per cent of the means of measurement used by individuals in the markets were inconsistent. "It is a fairly high percentage," said Cater, who added that "it is troublesome that the situation does not change", the same irregularities have been detected in recent years.

The legal entities are more correct, but more than 30 per cent of the scales do not meet the requirements.

The APC imposed fines in the amount of MDL 386,9 thousand, and the sellers were forced to liquidate the admitted violations. "Some of the economic agents know that the Agency makes visits, not controls, and takes advantage of this fact using measuring instruments that are not metrologically verified. They only presents them for verification when it is announced that checks are supposed to be done," said Grigore Cater.

He said that agents were given all the advisory support to comply with legal requirements and ensure proper work to avoid misleading consumers.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)