By Carlos Claudio, Dodoma
The Weights and Measures Agency (WMA) has warned traders and members of the public against using tins, buckets and other unapproved containers as measuring instruments, stressing that such practices are against the law.
The warning was issued today, September 18, 2026, in Dodoma by the Chief Executive Officer of the Weights and Measures Agency (WMA), Alban Mark Kihula, while addressing journalists at the Department of Information – MAELEZO on the Agency’s performance during the 2025/2026 financial year and its plans for 2026/2027.
Kihula said tins and buckets cannot guarantee fairness in the quantity of goods sold to consumers because their sizes and capacities are not standardized.
“Tins and buckets are not measuring instruments. The law prohibits their use as measuring instruments. We are continuing to educate the public and take action against those involved in this form of measurement,” Kihula said.
He urged traders to use approved weighing scales when measuring goods, particularly agricultural produce, while encouraging consumers to develop a culture of purchasing goods that are weighed on proper scales.
“Our responsibility as the Weights and Measures Agency is to ensure fairness,” he said.
According to Kihula, WMA has offices across all regions of Mainland Tanzania, providing verification, inspection and enforcement services to ensure the proper use of measuring instruments by traders and consumers.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, WMA verified a total of 1,166,995 measuring instruments, equivalent to 92 percent of its target of 1,269,957 instruments.
Kihula said the Agency also continued to inspect weighing scales used in the purchase of strategic crops, including cashew nuts, cotton, coffee and sesame, in Ruvuma, Mtwara, Lindi, Kigoma, Katavi and the Lake Zone.
He said that during the 2025/2026 season, WMA facilitated the introduction of smart anti-tampering scales, which enable farmers to know the quantity of produce they have sold immediately after weighing.
The technology also enables WMA to receive information when a scale is tampered with contrary to established procedures.
On business inspections, Kihula said WMA had planned to conduct 4,000 routine and surprise inspections between July 2025 and June 30, 2026, in various business areas including butcheries, markets, produce-buying centres and hardware shops.
However, the Agency conducted 5,015 inspections, equivalent to 125 percent of its target. The most frequently inspected measuring instruments included fuel pumps and weighing scales used in retail businesses.
WMA also continued inspecting packaged products manufactured locally and those imported into the country. The products included construction materials such as tiles, cement, steel bars and roofing sheets, as well as alcoholic and soft drinks and food products.
During the period, a total of 21,262 locally manufactured products and 17,774 consignments of imported productswere inspected to ensure consumers received the correct quantities as declared by manufacturers.
Regarding petroleum products, Kihula said WMA continued to verify the quantities of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and edible oil entering Tanzania through the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara.
Between July 2025 and June 30, 2026, the Agency verified a total of 11,995,743,266 litres of fuel delivered by 183 vessels.
Of the total volume, 3,702,807,940.56 litres were petrol (PMS), 7,382,184,171.85 litres were diesel (AGO), 500,249,473.78 litres were aviation fuel (JET), and 410,501,680 litres were edible oil.
Kihula said WMA would continue ensuring the accuracy of different types of weighing scales, fuel pumps, storage tanks and meters, while strengthening inspections of packaged products and monitoring the quantities of fuel entering the country.
He added that the Agency would continue improving and expanding the use of the WMA-MIS system and other digital services to make verification and inspection services more accessible to consumers and traders without requiring them to physically visit WMA offices.
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