Esma to verify accuracy of gold-weighing scales

Dubai: Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) will, beginning this month, start checking and controlling weighing scales at jewellery shops in the northern emirates.

This will be done in parallel with the verification of weighing scales in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The move, which aims to control the marketplace as far as measurement is concerned, is in line with Cabinet Decree No 31 in 2006, which gives Esma the authority to implement the verification of all legal measuring instruments in the UAE.

Significant impact

In a survey conducted by Esma last year, 35 per cent of the 540 randomly picked samples of gold weighing scales were found to have exceeded the maximum permissible error margin, as per technical regulation.

While differences recorded only a few tenths of a gram per transaction, the minuscule inconsistency makes a significant impact in the gold trade.

Eng. Mohammad Saleh Badri, Esma's Acting Director General, said: "The regulation that all legal measuring instruments must be controlled was passed by Esma Board of Directors last year in order to protect the rights of consumers and the traders."

"We have started with the weighing scales in jewellery shops because of the nature and sensitivity of the product. Gold is an expensive commodity and any small error may have a huge impact on the economy and on the people."

A study issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade says that the UAE is among the world's top five gold traders from 2005-2009 in both imports and exports.

The study revealed that the UAE ranked third in exports and second in imports in 2009.

In Dubai alone, the total gold trade reached $29 billion (Dh106.54 billion) in 2008, an increase of 53 per cent compared to $19 billion transacted through the emirate in 2007 according to figures from the Dubai World Statistics Department.

Despite the global economic turmoil, total gold trade through Dubai stood at $29 billion in 2009, matching the value of gold traded in 2008. The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, an Esma strategic partner, recently rolled out implementation in Abu Dhabi while Dubai Municipality is in the process of implementing the programme in the next few weeks.

Badri said: "We are now having a dialogue with Dubai Municipality with an intention to sign an agreement by the end of this month. Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, has started controlling electronic weighing scales at jewellery shops. Esma will cover the Sharjah and the Northern Emirates area."

Adjustments

"What will happen is a team of legal metrology inspectors and engineers will visit shops and verify their weighing scales. If the scale is not in line as per the technical regulation, adjustments will be made. Then the authority will put a metrology mark on the weighing scales certifying that they have been checked and verified. That mark will be the consumer's reference and assurance that the weighing scales used in that shop have been verified."