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Press Release

Release Date: 06/05/09

Consultations begin to select Metrication Board Members

The process to select suitable representatives to sit on the island's Metrication Board begins this week.

This follows Cabinet's approval earlier this year of a new structure for the island's Metrication Board, which will now comprise representatives of various sector groupings. On Wednesday May 10, the Central Government Sector grouping will meet to discuss the importance of Metricating Saint Lucia, implications for their specific sector and more specifically to nominate their representative on the Metrication Board.

Wednesday's meeting, scheduled for 10 am at the Bureau of Standards, is a joint undertaking between the Ministry of Commerce and the Bureau. This is the first in a series of eleven sector group meetings to be held island wide over the next few months. The nominations for Board membership coming out of each meeting will be submitted to the Minister for Commerce Honourable Philip J. Pierre for final approval.

Once constituted, the Metrication Board will be responsible for developing and implementing a plan for the island's conversion and transition to the sole use of the Metric System of Measurement. Its main responsibilities will be to advise Government on the formulation of metrication policies; to work with industry and other sectors to establish realistic schedules for the transition; to liaise with the Bureau of Standards on the development of metric conversion standards; to oversee the implementation of a public information programme, and to monitor and evaluate the rate of implementation within the various sectors. Each Metrication Board member will be expected to represent the interests of their respective economic or social sector and chair a committee of representatives of the sub-sectors within each category.

While the island has made attempts to implement the Metric System in the past, the current urgency is being dictated by International Trade and Commerce and the growing influence of the metric system of units as an international standard. The Commerce Ministry is keen on getting the process going, recognizing that the transition from the use of inch/pound units will greatly impact the economic survival of local business. Most of the developed world and many of the island's trading partners are well advanced in their metrication process. Moreover, the EU directive, which establishes a deadline for complete conversion by December 31st, 2009, is compelling the conversion process world-wide. The Bureau of Standards will play a major role in the evolution of the Metric System by providing the measurements, calibrations, data, quality assurance and technical support that will be required by those involved in Commerce and Industry.

The central government sector grouping which meets on Wednesday comprises the following departments and organisations: Customs and Excise, Procurement, Fire Service, the Royal St. Lucia Police Service, Mapping, Lands, Surveys and Titles, Laws and Regulations, Trade and Industry, Finance, Health, and Industrial and Labour Relations.

The other sector groups which will be consulted over the next few months include Building, Engineering and Construction; Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries; Utilities; Retail and Distributive Trades; Manufacturing; Fuel, Power and Transportation; Standardization; Education and Training; and Public Relations and Information.

- ENDS-