The weighing scale services and the performance of the weighing scale sector : a case study of T.H.S General Scale Services Rwanda Ltd

Abstract

The weighing scales service sector can be categorized among the infantile industries in Rwanda compared to its counterparts in the East African region and beyond. This abstract is a compressed executive summary of the research thesis that was designed and conducted to study the key issues and constraints that decelerate its take off. The researcher was surprised to find that most of the weighing equipment in Rwanda were not well maintained, serviced nor calibrated and yet nobody seemed to appreciate the negative effect this had on the consumer public. The objectives of this research were to find out the key issues that make this sector fail to deliver and the effects it has on the economy and to recommend the creation of an enabling environment that can enhance its performance. The other objective was to identify the types of scales used in the market. To achieve these objectives, the researcher approached and interviewed representative sample of 100 stakeholders who included the operators of weighing scales, staff and management of T.H.S General Scales Rwanda Ltd, Rwanda Bureau of Standards (R.B.S) and opinion leaders. The empirical findings of this research revealed that the sector is full of market imperfections and that there is urgent need for the regulators and operators to synergize and make things work. Furthermore, the research findings as presented in chapter four and summarized in chapter five, recommended that there is urgent need to crack down on culprits, who tamper with the weighing scale equipment with ill intentions, and to withdraw the faulty weighing scales from the market, and T.H.S to intensify after sales services, among other measures given by the respondents. Information, which were adduced from both primary and secondary data, revealed that the sector depends on imported technicians from abroad, mainly Uganda. It also revealed that most operators in Rwanda prefer to use mechanical scales, which are easy to manipulate, compared to electronic ones. It was also established that many operators prefer to acquire cheap and uncertified equipment from unauthorized dealers. This means the market is full of weighing equipment that are manipulated to cheat the consumer public with impunity. Finally, a test of significance was conducted to find out the perceptions of stakeholders as to whether the performance of the sector would improve if the existing market imperfections were removed. There was overwhelming support that if the research recommendations were implemented, the weighing scale service sector would be more effective and efficient.