Goodbye pounds, hello kilos

Starting in December this year, Panama’s weights and measures will fall into line with most of the world’s countries.

The sale of of products using metric measures  will be mandatory from December 12. Kilograms will replace  pounds, meters will oust yards, and at the gas pump your tank will be topped up with  liters instead of gallons of liquid gold. 

Under the new system, when you weigh yourself,  the figure on the scale will be smaller as kilos replace pounds, but not fat.

The change over follows a commitment signed in 1997  for Panama to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and  to establish equity in commercial transactions and the reliability of measurements in the field of health, industry and trade.

 Edilma Lopez, Head of the Department of Metrology of the Consumer Protection and Competition Authority, (acodec) says  that the move  has multiple benefits as it allows to Panama to become more competitive in international markets. The metric level of measures provides increased accuracy, since it is a scientific system, Lopez said. 

 Employers are being provided training on the change in measurement and how to use the international system (SIU). While waiting for the date change the measurement system, Lopez said there are pros to in place for adapting to SIU.For example, most imported products have dual labels in grams and ounces

Article 9 of of Law 52  introducing the changes, says that schools, public and private,  must include in their curricula the teaching of the SIU. 

"We are a country that imports many products that come in the nomenclature of the international system." 

 Lopez argues that the system is not unknown to the consumers as products such as milk and soda consumed in liters and not per gallon. However, the official said that the authorities are  working on a plan to make the change " the least traumatic."