Public hearings on Legal Metrology Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry invites you to submit written comments on the Legal Metrology Bill.

Legal Metrology concerns measurements that directly affect consumers and ensures the quality and credibility of measurements such as weight, speed and blood pressure that are used in regulation and in areas of trade. It deals with risks of misuse of measuring instruments, of tampering and of accidental influences on a measuring instrument and deals with the traceability of measurements, thus providing an appropriate level of credibility of measurement results in the regulatory domain.

In a broader sense, it covers the protection of society in areas of health, safety and the environment, hence the importance of the interaction between regulation and measurements.

The Legal Metrology Bill seeks to strengthen the enforcement within an appropriate legislative framework. The Bill also addresses corporate governance issues and it proposes that the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) will administer the proposed Act. The NRCS is currently being overseen by a Board. The Bill seeks to change the governance structure by requiring the Chief Executive Officer to report directly to the Minister of Trade and Industry and doing away with the Board.

Public hearings will be held in Parliament on Tuesday, 15 & Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Comments can be emailed to Mr A Hermans at [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] by no later than Monday, 14 October 2013.

Enquiries can be directed to Mr A Hermans on tel (021) 403 3776

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.