Fuel Supplier Fined for Failing to Comply with the Weights and Measures Act

Fuel Supplier Fined for Failing to Comply with the Weights and Measures Act

MR No.: 001/19

Singapore, Wednesday, 9 January 2019

1. OMS Marine Pte Ltd (OMS Marine), a supplier of petrol and diesel fuel for leisure crafts and boats, pleaded guilty to charges for failing to comply with the Weights and Measures Act, administered by Enterprise Singapore, the national body for legal metrology. The court case concluded today, with OMS Marine being fined a total of S$6,000 by the State Courts for having fuel dispensers with inaccurate readings that shortchanged its customers. Two other charges for possessing unverified measuring instruments for trade use were taken into consideration.

2. Enterprise Singapore began investigation in December 2017 after it received a complaint from a consumer on the inaccuracies of OMS Marine’s fuel dispenser. A spot check conducted on the company’s fuel dispensers found that the measuring instruments were last sent in to an Authorised Verifier¹ for verification in January 2015. This violates requirements under the Weights and Measures Act, where all weighing and measuring instruments used for trade must be verified annually by an Authorised Verifier and be affixed with a valid ACCURACY label. A notice was issued to OMS Marine to cease supply of fuel immediately and send its fuel dispensers for verification, and the company complied.

3. Further investigation by Enterprise Singapore into the accuracy of the fuel dispensers found that they were supplying less fuel than the stated reading. At the point of verification in January 2018, the diesel fuel dispenser supplied 2% less fuel and the petrol fuel dispenser supplied 2.4% less fuel. These were above the permitted tolerance level of 0.5% provided for under the Act.

4. Any person who violates the requirements to verify and affix the ACCURACY label on weighing and measuring instruments for trade use is punishable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$2,000, and the instruments in question will be forfeited. It is also an offence for any person to use or possess these instruments for trade use which gives inaccurate readings that would disadvantage its customers. This offence is punishable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding S$5,000 or to imprisonment not exceeding three months or to both. Some examples of individuals that must meet the requirements include those selling items by weight such as grocers selling food produce or goldsmiths selling jewellery.

5. To ensure requirements under the Act are met, enforcement officers from Enterprise Singapore conduct checks throughout the year on weighing and measuring instruments used for trade. Enterprise Singapore takes a serious view on suppliers who do not comply with the requirements and will not hesitate to take legal action. Consumers can play their part by looking out for the ACCURACY label on the weighing and measuring instruments when purchasing goods that involves the use of these instruments. Consumers with information on suppliers using weighing and measuring instruments that do not comply with requirements under the Act can contact Enterprise Singapore at consumerprotection@enterprisesg.gov.sg.

6. Consumers who purchased fuel from OMS Marine between January 2016 and January 2018² should seek redress from the supplier with proof of purchase. If consumers are unable to do so, they may approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) for assistance at its hotline +65 6100 0315 or https://www.case.org.sg.

¹ Authorised Verifiers are appointed by Enterprise Singapore to perform verification of weighing and measuring instruments used for trade purposes. For a list of designated Authorised Verifiers, click here.

² Time frame refers to the lapse in OMS Marine’s verification of its fuel dispensers. The company’s fuel dispensers were valid till December 2015 as these measuring instruments were last verified in January 2015. The company has since verified its measuring instruments in January 2018.