The GRTU said today it was disappointed that honest retailers and traders were cast in a bad light by government authorities and others when it was announced that regular calibration tests would be held for various sectors.

The chamber said it had long called for regular metrology tests and therefore welcomed the plans for their introduction.

It pointed out, however, that in many cases, retailers sold items which were already packed.

Petrol stations used electronic equipment they could not tamper with, and the gas distributors had nothing to do with the filling of gas cylinders.

While there could be abuses, the GRTU said it was unfair that all traders were unfairly labelled, especially since the majority were honest and suffered from unfair competition by those who abused.

The GRTU said it was disappointed that it was said that a number of petrol stations were being investigated, but none were named, thus putting all of them under a cloud. The authorities, it said, should first have completed their investigations and then the people concerned would have been named during the arraignment.

GHAJN DWIELI PETROL STATION

The worse case, however, was how a petrol station at Ghajn Dwieli was somehow being linked to the discovery of a bowser containing contraband diesel.

The petrol station had nothing to do with the contraband. The persons concerned also had nothing to do with the petrol station and the petrol station was located in a different part of Ghajn Dwieli, away from the site where the bowser was discovered, the GRTU said.