Consumers buying food, fuel and cooking gas could be losing money through inaccurate measurements, prompting the Weights and Measures Agency (WMA) to warn traders to comply with legal requirements and urging the public to report suspected cheating.
The warning covers everyday transactions, from small vendors selling tomatoes and onions to fuel stations, manufacturers of packaged goods and suppliers of cooking gas.
Jadi Athumani, WMA's manager for inspection and monitoring, said traders must use verified measuring instruments to ensure customers receive the quantities they pay for.
Speaking on Channel Ten's Baragumu programme in Dodoma on October 20, 2026, Mr Athumani said inaccurate measurements could undermine consumer rights and confidence in the marketplace.
The problem can be particularly difficult for consumers who have limited means of checking the actual weight or quantity of goods before paying.
“Traders must use measuring instruments that can be verified to ensure that the quantity sold corresponds to the value paid,” he said.
He cited small-scale vendors selling tomatoes, onions and other produce along roads as examples of businesses where inaccurate measurements could leave customers with less than they expected.
He said traders should not rely on visual estimates or unverified containers when determining quantities.
For households already managing the cost of essential goods, even small differences in weight or quantity can add to spending over time. For farmers, inaccurate measurements can mean losing income when their produce is weighed for sale.
WMA says it is stepping up inspections and public education to address such risks, but the impact will depend on how consistently the rules are enforced and how easily consumers can report violations.
The agency also inspects packaged products, including flour, to establish whether the quantities declared on labels match the contents.
Mr Athumani said inspections were conducted at production and packaging facilities through WMA offices across the country. Routine checks are supplemented by surprise inspections to determine whether products continue to meet legal requirements.
The checks are intended to protect consumers who may have no practical way of establishing the weight of a sealed product before purchasing it.
WMA also inspects retail weighing scales to verify their accuracy before they are used in commercial transactions.
Mr Athumani said scales that meet legal requirements are marked with verification stickers. He urged consumers to check for the stickers and report equipment that appears to be unverified to the nearest WMA office.
However, the presence of a sticker alone does not remove the need for continued monitoring, making routine and surprise inspections important in identifying equipment that may no longer meet the required standards.
Motorists who suspect they are receiving less fuel than they pay for have also been urged to report their concerns to WMA.
Mr Athumani said the agency inspects fuel pumps to establish whether they dispense the correct quantities. Routine inspections are conducted according to established schedules, while surprise checks are used to determine whether pumps continue to operate accurately.
Verified pumps carry stickers showing the month and year of inspection, allowing customers to check whether the equipment has undergone the required verification.
He said the agency investigates complaints from motorists and conducts inspections where necessary.
However, he cautioned that differences in fuel gauge readings could also result from faults in vehicles, meaning that a low reading alone does not necessarily prove that a station supplied insufficient fuel.
The warning places responsibility on both the regulator and consumers: WMA must investigate credible complaints, while motorists should seek verification before concluding that a fuel station has short-changed them.
WMA is also monitoring the use of measurements in agricultural produce trading, where disputes over rumbesa can affect the earnings of farmers and the costs incurred by buyers.
The term is commonly associated with produce supplied in quantities exceeding the permitted measurement, although the appearance of a sack alone cannot establish whether a violation has occurred.
Mr Athumani said WMA had established service points in areas where complaints about produce measurements were common. Inspectors operate at these points in the morning, afternoon and evening to monitor compliance.
He said a bulging sack or a heap of produce extending above its container was not, by itself, sufficient evidence of a measurement violation. The actual quantity must be checked against the permitted measurement.
The distinction is important because disputes based on appearance rather than verified measurements can create misunderstandings between farmers and traders.
Mr Athumani encouraged farmers to measure their produce at harvest to establish the quantities they have produced and compare them with the amounts recorded when selling.
Accurate measurements can help farmers establish whether they are being paid for the full quantities supplied, while buyers can confirm that they receive what they have purchased.
For small-scale farmers, whose earnings depend heavily on the quantity of produce sold, reliable weighing and transparent transactions are important safeguards against avoidable losses.
The agency is also following up complaints from consumers who say cooking gas cylinders run out sooner than expected after purchase.
Mr Athumani said WMA directed regional managers to inspect cylinders after complaints circulated on social media, seeking to establish whether the concerns were linked to inaccurate measurements.
The inspections found that some complaints had merit, while others could not be confirmed as measurement-related problems, he said.
The findings highlight the importance of investigating complaints rather than dismissing them or assuming that every cylinder contains less gas than declared.
Cooking gas is a recurring household expense, and uncertainty over the quantity purchased can undermine consumer confidence.
Effective verification and clear channels for reporting suspected irregularities are therefore important.
Mr Athumani said WMA would continue inspections, monitoring and public education to ensure that measuring instruments and traded goods comply with the law.
Established on May 20, 2002, WMA operates under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and is responsible for protecting consumers through the enforcement of accurate measurements.
The challenge now is to ensure that inspections translate into consistent compliance across the marketplace, giving consumers confidence that the quantities they pay for are the quantities they receive.