NEWS FEATURE- Legal Metrology Services embraces modernisation to speed up operations and boost efficiency

From the weighing scale used at a neighbourhood shop to the fuel pump at a service station, accurate measurements are an essential part of everyday commercial transactions. Behind the assurance that consumers receive the quantity they pay for is the work of the Legal Metrology Services (LMS), which is now taking a major step towards modernising its operations through digitalisation.

The Service is currently nearing completion of a new Legal Metrology Information System (LMIS), an online platform designed to simplify and speed up a range of services provided to traders and other stakeholders. Once operational, the system will enable users to book appointments, make payments and obtain certificates electronically, reducing the need for physical visits and unnecessary paperwork.

The digital transformation is expected to significantly improve service delivery while reducing administrative processes. Staff of the LMS have been closely involved in the implementation of the project, contributing to the transition towards a more efficient and technology-driven system.

Established in 1990, the LMS which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection is responsible for administering the Legal Metrology Act and ensuring that weighing and measuring instruments used in trade are accurate and comply with prescribed standards. Its work is closely linked to consumer protection, as reliable measurements are fundamental to ensuring fairness and transparency when goods are bought or sold by weight or measure.

The LMS has a staff complement of 43 officers, including 23 technical officers who carry out inspection, verification, enforcement and other specialised functions.

Keeping measurements accurate and trade fair

The mandate of the LMS is built around three core areas: maintaining measurement standards that are traceable to international standards; regulating weighing and measuring instruments used in commercial activities; and ensuring that goods are correctly labelled and contain the quantity declared on their packaging.

These responsibilities cover a wide range of instruments encountered in daily commercial activities. They include electronic and spring balances, weighing equipment used by jewellers, weighbridges, capacity and length measures, petrol pumps, bulk meters and vehicle tanks.

Traders using such equipment for commercial purposes are required by law to have their instruments verified by the LMS. Instruments that meet the prescribed limits of error are officially assized, or stamped with the mark of verification, and the corresponding certificates are issued.

The frequency of verification varies according to the type of instrument. Spring balances, for instance, are reassized annually, while most other instruments are reassized every two years. Length measures are subject to reassizement every five years.

The Service also assesses the design and model of weighing instruments before they can be used for trade purposes. Importers and manufacturers must obtain a certificate of suitability for their models, with only approved models being eligible for verification and use in commercial transactions.

Taking services closer to users

Verification and calibration are not confined to the LMS premises at Bell Village. The Service has a mobile verification unit which brings services closer to traders and operates in the eight districts at locations including Social Welfare Centres, Community Centres and Municipal Councils.

In addition to its statutory responsibilities, LMS provides calibration services on request to industries, government institutions and other organisations. These services cover areas such as mass, volume and length measurements.

The Service calibrates equipment ranging from weights and weighing instruments to volumetric measures, length measures, petroleum check-pump measures and equipment used in construction batching plants. It also undertakes calibration of water meters, diesel meters, alcohol meters and storage tanks used by industries, including distilleries and beverage manufacturers.

This technical work provides businesses and institutions with reliable measurements while supporting compliance with regulatory and operational requirements.

A strong focus on standards

Maintaining accurate measurement standards is at the heart of the Service's mission. Standards used to verify or calibrate commercial instruments are periodically checked against reference standards, which are themselves calibrated against national measurement standards maintained by the Mauritius Standards Bureau. This ensures traceability to the International System of Units (SI).

The quality and technical competence of the LMS laboratory are also supported by international accreditation. Its mass laboratory has been accredited by MAURITAS since 2010 and was updated in 2020 to meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017, the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. The accreditation has been maintained for the 2026–2027 cycle.

At the regional and international levels, Mauritius also participates in the wider legal metrology community. LMS is a corresponding member of the International Organization of Legal Metrology and a member of the SADC Cooperation in Legal Metrology, contributing to efforts aimed at harmonising measurement practices and strengthening regional cooperation.

Protecting consumers through market surveillance

The work of the LMS extends beyond laboratories and calibration facilities. Officers regularly conduct inspections at shops, supermarkets and hypermarkets, market fairs, filling stations and premises where goods are packed.

These inspections examine whether weighing and measuring instruments are properly verified and whether prepacked goods comply with requirements relating to quantity and labelling. Where breaches of the law are detected, enforcement action is initiated.

The Service also investigates complaints from members of the public concerning inaccurate measurements or the sale of goods that do not comply with legal metrology requirements. Complaints received directly by the Service or through the Citizen Support Unit are investigated, with appropriate action taken where violations are established.

Public awareness constitutes another important part of this work. Awareness sessions for traders, businesses and consumers have been conducted, notably at Social Welfare Centres, to explain legal requirements and highlight the importance of using properly verified measuring instruments.

Strong performance during 2025–2026

For the 2025–2026 financial year, the LMS has maintained a strong focus on regulatory oversight, consumer protection and improved service delivery.

During the year, 12,412 weighing and measuring instruments were verified or calibrated for 4,971 traders, industries and other institutions. A further 55 certificates of suitability were issued to importers of weighing instruments, clearing approved models to be used for trade purposes.

Market surveillance activities were also intensified, with 4,974 trade premises visited, and prepacked commodities and petrol pumps inspected. In light of these inspections, 78 contraventions were issued.

Consumer concerns were addressed through the investigation of 30 complaints, reinforcing the Service's role in protecting the public from unfair trading practices.

Revenue collection also increased during the financial year. The Service collected Rs 7,380,944 in revenue, compared with approximately Rs 7.3 million in 2024–2025, representing an increase of around 1.37 per cent.

Investing in equipment and expertise

The Service has also bolstered its technical capacity through investment in equipment and staff development.

During the year, LMS acquired 12 one-tonne weights, enhancing its ability to meet accuracy requirements when calibrating and verifying weighbridges. It also acquired high-accuracy weights, including 27 weights, 10 ten-kilogramme weights and five five-kilogramme weights of Accuracy Class F2. These additions have broadened its capacity to verify high-accuracy weighing instruments of up to 300 kilogrammes.

Mobility has also been improved considerably through the acquisition of a lorry with a 3.8-tonne payload for transporting reference weights to sites, as well as a four-wheel-drive double-cab pick-up for transporting equipment required for on-site verification and calibration.

In parallel, officers continued to enhance their professional skills through training, workshops and regional programmes covering legal metrology, strategic management, artificial intelligence and related areas. Such initiatives included participation in SADC meetings and workshops, capacity-building programmes in India and professional training in South Africa.

A modern service for an evolving economy

The digitalisation of the LMS represents the next stage in the ongoing drive to improve efficiency. Routine interactions that previously depended on physical documents and administrative procedures will progressively move online is now the benchmark of this organisation.

For traders, this means greater convenience, easier access to services and faster processing. On that score, digital records and streamlined procedures can contribute to more efficient administration and allow staff to focus greater attention on their technical and regulatory responsibilities.

Ultimately, legal metrology is not limited to scales, weights and measuring instruments. It is about trust — ensuring that when consumers purchase a kilogramme of a product, a litre of fuel or any other quantity-based commodity, the measurement corresponds to what is declared and paid for.

As the LMS embraces digital technology while continuing to strengthen its technical capabilities, inspection mechanisms and professional expertise, its focus remains firmly anchored on the same objective: accurate measurement, fair trade and stronger protection for consumers and businesses alike.

07 August 2026

Email: gis@govmu.org

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Topics: Legal Metrology