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Manicaland Correspondent
GOVERNMENT is drafting a Legal Metrology Bill, which is meant to transform and modernise the current Trade Measures Act of 1973, The Herald can reveal.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce held a workshop in Mutare last Friday to get stakeholders’ input on the development of the new framework.

Regional engagement workshops were also held in Harare, Gweru, Bulawayo and Masvingo.

Consultant development officer for the Legal Metrology Bill in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dr Mukayi Musarurwa, said the meeting was meant to modernise the outdated Legal Metrology Bill,.

“The workshop on the development of the Bill is meant to transform and modernise the current Trade Measures Act Chapter 14:23 into a legal Bill for Zimbabwe,” he said.

Legal metrology is the science and practice of measurements, which is subject to legal control.

Mr Musarurwa said the new bill was in line with Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the economy into an upper middle class.

“The drafting of the bill is totally in line with the 2030 vision,” he said.

“One key area is consumer protection in which we are now closing the gap where previously we were only dealing with issues pertaining to length, mass and volume.”

The ministry’s legal officer, Mr Hilary Muhumbe, said in Zimbabwe, trade measures activities were largely confined to length, mass and volume measurements needed for trade purposes.