Officials at the Industry Ministry said yesterday that the governing body started checking the accuracy of measurements at petrol stations in an attempt to halt customers from being overcharged for petrol.
According to Ministry Spokesman Um Sotha, officials from the National Metrology Centre are calling petrol station owners for a meeting. Under this new development, the Industry Ministry would have the authority to inspect stations nationwide and test the gauges used to measure fuel.
“Officials from the National Metrology Centre will check petroleum stations’ measurement equipment to ensure the equipment is technically in order and carries out accurate measurement,” he said.
“The people authorised to determine whether or not the equipment is accurate are National Metrology Centre officials,”
The move came after complaints of cheating by petroleum stations which do not sell accurate amounts of fuel, Mr Sotha said. He added that so far, the ministry had issued statements concerning petrol stations.
Officials will check the pumps at petrol stations which have licences and have already been checked technically by the metrology centre, Mr Sotha said.
Checking petrol stations is also being conducted by the CamControl unit, which is under the authority of the Ministry of Commerce.
Officials from both ministries said the functions of each ministry did not overlap.
CamControl officials inspect and check the quality of products being sold to customers while the newly formed team from the Industry Ministry works to control the measurement equipment at petrol stations, Commerce Ministry spokesman Seang Thay, said.
“We inspect for the quality of the products, like whether or not it is super petroleum, or to see if there are any other chemicals in petrol,” Mr Thay said.
“Officials from the Ministry of Industry check measurement equipment.”
Mr Thay said a few petrol stations had been found cheating customers, and warnings had been sent out to the owners of the stations.
“What we are trying to do, both CamControl and the National Metrology Centre, is protect users,” Mr Sotha said.
