By Giwa SHILE
Weights and Measures Department of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment can generate five billion naira annually if the government puts all necessary modalities in place to enhance its activities.
The Director of the Department, Mr Mohammed Sidi, expressed the view in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with members of Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria
Sidi said the department, which has responsibility to verify weight or measure instruments used for trade in Nigeria, needed at least one billion naira allocation from government to effectively carry out its mandate.
He said that the government could also allow the department keep a percentage of its generated revenue to achieve its goals.
According to him, such money will be used to acquire all relevant machines and engage more personnel to achieve its capacity of generating five billion naira to the Federal Government’s coffers every year.
“Weights and Measures Department can drive itself effectively and provide all what it is required to provide and even give certain amount to Federal Government as a support.
“I had an occasion when I gave a projection of what this department is able to generate per annum and it stood at five billion naira per annum.
“We can provide that amount per annum provided that certain provisions are to be provided for this department,” Sidi said.
He said that the department that was supposed to have its presence in all markets, factories, oil and gas sector, among others, was only visible in 32 states.
Sidi called on government to leverage on the department’s potential to grow the economy.
He said in spite of its present challenges, the department was able to generate over N500 million in 2018.
“Beyond ensuring people get value for their money, Weights and Measures through its activities is a money making venture in the country.
” For every weighing or measuring equipment verified by a qualified or certified officer there must be payment of certain nominal fee which the law refers as verification fee,” he said.
Sidi called for the immediate review of the law establishing the Department to meet up with the present demand.
He said it was no longer tenable a situation where penalty prescribed in the existing Act is N500 fine or one year prison sentence for an individual defaulter and N5,000 for a corporate body.
Sidi, however, commended the Federal Government on its recent move to boost the number of personnel in the department with the recruitment of 160 graduates.
“I must applaud the government for recruiting 160 graduates from 2017 to date, who are engineers and scientists.
“They are currently undergoing professional training and will be posted to complement the existing workforce we have, which is not more than 200,” he said. —- NAN
