EAMET REPORT -2010 RLMO-ORLANDO
(1)INTRODUCTION
EAMET comprises the metrology
institutions from the five countries forming
the East African Community (EAC) i.e.
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and
Burundi.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have fully
operational legal metrology institutions
though Uganda operates as a combined
metrology institution under the Bureau of
standards.
EAMET REPORT -2010
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Rwanda and Burundi are still in their infancy
stages of development of metrology
infrastructure. They are receiving technical
assistance from Kenya and PTB.
Save for Burundi, the other institutions have
fairly equipped laboratories at their head offices.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have regional
offices. Tanzania has 25 regional offices with a
workforce of 157 officers. Kenya has 21 regional
offices with a workforce of 57 officers.
EAMET REPORT-2010
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These institutions hold an annual one week
meeting every year under the auspices of
the Metrology Sub- Committee (EAMET) of
the East African Standards Committee. In
these meetings, both industrial and Legal
metrology matters are dealt with under the
relevant technical committees namely;
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TC1-Metre Convention and CIPM MRA Matters,
TC2-Metrology Education and Training
TC3-Metrology Facilities and Infrastructure
TC4-Metrology Legislation
TC5-Small and Medium Enterprise Support
EAMET REPORT-2010
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ACTIVITIES IN THE YEAR
(A) Meetings
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During the year under review the following
meetings were held ;
EAMET REPORT-2010
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(i) EAMET
EAMET held its meetings in May 2010 in
Arusha, Tanzania with the issues for
discussion being;
(a) the forwarding of the concluded Metrology bill
for consideration for enactment by the East
African Parliament as an Act,
(b)Harmonization of the legal metrology
regulations in the Community to operationalize
the Community’s Common Market Protocol
(c )Establishment of the status of Quality
infrastructure and measurement capabilities of
the member institutions,
EAMET REPORT-2010
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The member states finalized the region’s
metrology guidelines document which is
expected to be made the East African
Metrology Act to guide the operations of
metrology activities in the region. This
document was modeled on the OIML D1
( Elements of law in Metrology) document.
EAMET REPORT-2010
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The member states have already embarked
on the harmonization process of the region’s
member states metrology regulations so as
to operationalize the region’s common
market protocol that came into effect in July
2010. This process is incorporating the OIML
R79 and R87 recommendations,
EAMET REPORT-2010
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The harmonized regulations are to form the
East African Metrology regulations under the
East African Metrology Act,
(ii) REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
The region hosted the 44th CIML meeting
through one of its member states i.e KENYA in
October 2009,
The region was represented in the SADCMEL
meeting in Swaziland
The region is also represented at this year’s
AFRIMETS meeting in Cairo, Egypt which is
running concurrently with this meeting.
EAMET REPORT-2010
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(B) TRAINING
EAMET benefited from a PTB sponsored training
“ Introduction to Industrial and Legal Metrology“
conducted in UK by the UK’s National
Measurement Office in conjunction with the
National Physical Laboratory. Each member state
had one participant attending.
EAMET increased its pool of ISO/IEC17025
Assessors by 14 persons through training with
the assistance from PTB, with 3 of the assessors
being from Legal Metrology in Kenya, Uganda
and Tanzania. This is a good build-up towards
accreditation of legal metrology laboratories in
the region.
EAMET REPORT-2010
 EAMET
member states were offered
assistance by PTB in training Legal
Metrology personnel on ISO/IEC17020.
The countries are at different stages of
utilization of this assistance, Kenya
managed to train 39 officers on the
fund.
 Tanzania
conducted training in flow
measurements
EAMET REPORT-2010
(3) IMPROVEMENT IN METROLOGY
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Kenya has made the following improvements;
Has concluded the review of its Legal metrology
law in line with OIML-D1, R79 and R87
has acquired three mobile provers,
has completed the construction of a reference
calibration plant at the head office,
Has completed the rehabilitation and
modernization of the reference weighbridge,
EAMET REPORT-2010
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Has partially completed the refurbishment of
the National laboratory,
Has expanded office space to create room
for lecture rooms for trainees,
Has concluded review of curriculum for
Weights and Measures Assistants and is now
in the process of reviewing the one for
Inspectors,
Is in the process of procuring mass
comparators for the National laboratory to
improve efficiency and measurement
capabilities.
EAMET REPORT-2010
All these were made possible due to increased
funding on development from Government
after the sensitization of the top
Government officials in the run up to and
during the hosting of the 44th CIML meeting
in Kenya
Tanzania is in the process of reviewing their
law to capture all activities relating to trade,
health, safety and environment.
Uganda is in the pilot stage of enforcing
regulations on electricity meters.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(4) PRESSING ISSUES
(i) Regional Harmonization
The region is in dire need of financial
support to conclude the harmonization
process of regulations in the remaining
areas of weighing and measuring
instruments in order to fully
operationalize the EAC common market
protocol which came into operation in
July 2010.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(ii)Training
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The region still needs to build a bigger
pool of Assessors in legal metrology and
also to train more laboratory staff on the
ISO17025 standard.
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ISO 17020 is critical to proper operation
of the legal metrology institutions thus
focus is to train all the staff in that area.
This requires facilitation for a Training of
Trainers on ISO17020. This will encourage
in-house training which promises
sustainability.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(iii) Equipment
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Most of the Legal metrology laboratories
in the region are averagely equipped
and there is need for support in
equipment. Some institutions are barely
felt outside their laboratories due to lack
of verification equipment
EAMET REPORT-2010
(iv) General
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Emergence and impact of privatization,
globalization and National policy on
private sector participation renders
effective control on the areas of legal
metrology of utmost importance. For
instance, remarkable new applications to
control in the areas of utility services are in
place, while in fact we have not yet
ventured in the area.
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Effective control means a lot of resources
compared to the capacity we are striving
to build.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(5) CURRENT SCOPE OF WORK
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Currently Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
operate on specific legal metrology Acts
relating to trade only, Rwanda is in the
process of developing a law on metrology
whereas Burundi operate under the
Standards Act of the Bureau.
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The region is currently working on various
draft regulations for utility meters i.e
Electricity, water, tyre pressure, in
preparation to expand their scope of work.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(6) OIML MEMBERSHIP
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In this region, Kenya and Tanzania are
full members of the OIML whereas
Rwanda is an associate member. Uganda
has now shown interest in becoming an
OIML member and may be starting the
application process soon.
EAMET REPORT-2010
(7) UP-COMING EVENTS
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The region is privileged to host the first
ever Pan African Metrology School
through KENYA. The training will take
place in January 2011and preparations
for the training are already underway.
This program is being undertaken by
AFRIMETS in conjunction with UNIDO,
Weights and Measures-Kenya and Kenya
Bureau of Standards.
EAMET REPORT-2010
Thank
You
For
Listening