Kilopascal Yes, Ezra passed on the UKMA blog to me. I was very grateful to see our country being acknowledged for its efforts towards metrication despite the Caribbean muddle. My hope is that Saint Lucia will complete the metrication process this time around. Too many of the Caribbean Countries have began the process and have not completed.
Though I realize that we may never be able to get rid of the Imperial System all together. Our trading with the US will cause us to hold on to some imperial stuff until such time as the US decides otherwise. We are really too small to dictate. In fact the Metrication Board had been endeavouring to formulate a policy to guide the handling of goods, equipment etc. not compatible with the Metric System, that will arrive at our Ports, after the pronouncement for the legal adoption of the metric system is made in Saint Lucia. (The pronouncement must be made as per the Metrology Act #17 of 2000). The Metrication Board has held consultation with the Attorney General's Office, the Customs and Excise Department, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) and the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, in an effort to formulate the policy: whether the non metric goods should be relabeled upon entry, where should the relabeling take place (space was an issue) and who would do the actual relabeling; a draft policy remains in the pipeline. Much work has been done in Saint Lucia; sectors such as Petroleum, Transportation & Communication; Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries; Utilities; Manufacturing and Processing; Central and Local Government; Education and Training; Retail, Wholesale & Distributive Trade; Public Relations and Information; Standardization; Building & Engineering Construction; and Public Relations and Information are prepared for metrication at varying degrees, some much more than others. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done; there is need to intensify public awareness and education; development of metric guides, booklets, pamphlets, brochures particularly for the Building Construction and Engineering Sector; the retooling of small businesses, small shops in the informal sector, fishermen, butchers, vendors etc.; upgrading of road signs and speed limits; changing water meters from imperial to metric and putting regulations in place where necessary. As you would be well aware, Metrication is not an overnight process, it takes time. But we must have the will and commitment to get the job done, our motivation should come from within because metric is the way to go whether or not external pressures are brought to bear on us. Enough said. Regards Judy From: Kilopascal [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 11:50 AM To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:51084] RE: Millimetres of Mercury & Millibars of air pressure. Judy, You maybe interesting in knowing that your response to me has become the subject of a discussion topic at the UKMA blog. http://metricviews.org.uk/2011/09/a-very-caribbean-muddle/comment-page-1/#co mment-23435 Here is my response: The letter above from Judy was in response to a question I posed to her a few weeks back. I wasn't surprised at her answers as in doing my own research found that many of these nations made decisions to "finish" metrication over a decade ago, but did little to follow through. Every so often they bring the issue to the front burner as a response to some pressure from the marketplace. Road metrication came about quickly in many of these countries due mainly to the importation of right-hand vehicles from Japan which does not convert the dashboard display to imperial. These countries are too insignificant to force foreign manufacturers to accommodate their non-metricness. Much of the drive a few years ago had to do with the EU directive, but when the directive was cancelled the pressure was off and everyone went back to sleep. The only motivating drive presently would have to be related to the continued importation of metric products from Europe and Asia. Since the US produces next to nothing, few in these countries will be influenced by USC products from the US in their markets. The fact that the EU continues to make metrication a condition of aid is a positive step. Overcoming the fear to change among the population is not difficult. All that needs to be done is a strong public education program that emphasizes that the growing economies are metric and the those countries resisting metrication are losing their affluent status and moving towards poverty. Metrication has to be seen as a movement towards improved living conditions by being a means to attract high valued jobs. As long as the Caribbean Countries derive most of their income from the tourist industry or banking and never make any efforts to develop a technological economy, I don't see much progress being made. It is also boils down to the chicken and egg syndrome. That is what must come first? Must the jobs come first to motivate the population to metricate or must the population metricate first in order to attract the high end jobs? The answer is simple, they must change first as there are plenty of metric countries for business and industry to establish themselves in, they don't need non-metric people and will easily overlook countries where the population continues to resist metrication. BTW, the link she provides: http://abbs.gov/ag/standards_info/metrication.htm does not work. [USMA:51084] RE: Millimetres of Mercury & Millibars of air pressure. Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:11:43 -0700 Hi Sorry for the delay. I got caught up with work. Documentation on the history of metrication in the Caribbean countries is limited however, what we do know is that: History * In the early 1970's at a Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Heads of Government Conference, it was agreed that all member territories would go metric. * Acting on the advice of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) a few years later, the more developed countries took steps to metricate. (CARICOM is made up of fifteen (15) member states and five (5) associated states. Barbados, Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad and Tobago are designated More Developed Countries (MDC) while other members of CARICOM are designated Less Developed Countries (LDC) with the exception of The Bahamas.) http://www.caricom.org/jsp/community/member_states.jsp?menu=community MDC's Metrication The MDC's metrication: Trinidad & Tobago began the process in 1973 but did not complete; Jamaica in 1996; Barbados in 1973; Guyana officially in 2003. LDC's Metrication Antigua commenced officially in 1974. The last time I visited Antigua and Barbuda in September 2009, I noted that most of their road signs were in metric; however I bought fish at the market that was weighed in lbs. When I enquired, I was told that Antigua was still into a gradual metrication process. This link will provide further information. http://abbs.gov/ag/standards_info/metrication.htm The other LDC's have not metricated. Saint Lucia initiated steps towards metrication when a Metrication Committee was set up in 1978. The Role of that committee was to advise the government on a date when the country should change over to the metric system, and to establish the machinery to facilitate education of the entire country to the transfer. A major achievement of that committee was the introduction of metric into the schools' curricula. The commercial sector however, continued to use the Imperial system because there was no legislation to enforce change. The legislative deficiency was addressed by the Metrology Act # 17 of 2000, which makes provision for the SI to be the legal units of measurement in Saint Lucia. * An interim Metrication Committee was established by the Council of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards in 2001 which reviewed the status of laws with respect to measurement units and the financial and mental preparedness of the public and private sector to metricate. * A new Metrication Board was formally appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers in February 2005. At the official launching in April of 2005, a recommendation was made to revisit the composition of the Board and to propose one that would allow for greater partnership between the private and the public sectors. The change to the structure of the Board was proposed by Dr. A.W. Sangster, Chairman of the Jamaica Metrication Board who offered us technical advice based on the Jamaican metrication experience. * In January 2006, by Cabinet conclusion No. 49 of 2006, a new structure was approved for the Metrication Board and in April 2008 the Chairman and members of the Board were appointed and commenced the implementation phase of the Metrication Project through the setting up of the Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat. The Board's first meeting was held on April 10, 2008. The operations of the Secretariat was primarily initiated and executed by the Chairman prior to the staffing of the Secretariat. This new thrust to metricate was propelled by an EU deadline of Dec. 31st 2009 for implementing the metrication of Saint Lucia, hence, making the Secretariat fully functional was a priority. The E.U. has since suspended the metrication deadline. Metrication efforts continue in Saint Lucia with public education, sensitization and training etc. in the various sectors. However, at the Metrication Board meeting of Thursday, July 28, 2011, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs informed the Board that due to the state of the economy, budgetary allocation for the Metrication Project by Government would last until September 30, 2011 and that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs will conduct an impact assessment of the current metrication process, to determine the way forward and the most cost effective approach. The furtherance of metrication will therefore depend on the recommendations of the consultant. Motivating factor One of the main motivating factors for metrication in the Caribbean region is that apart from issues related to the facilitation of trade and commerce, metrication is a conditionality for securing funding from the E.U. Resistance As far as resistance is concerned, I can only speak for Saint Lucia. Based on our experience, we have encountered some resistance from our consumers and ordinary people, mainly out of fear. Businesses have been quite willing to change. Some concerns of our people were about bread and butter issues, as persons associated the change to metric with an increase in the price of goods. We had to intensify public education in order to dispel that perception. Apart from being a technical change, metrication also involves a cultural transition, hence, the process has posed quite a challenge having to change the mindset of a people steeped in the Imperial System. Hope you find the foregoing informative and useful. Regards Judy H. Rene Coordinator Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat From: Kilopascal [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 8:42 PM To: [email protected]; U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:51017] RE: Millimetres of Mercury & Millibars of air pressure. Judy, It is very good to hear from someone involved in metrication from Saint Lucia. If you have the time and desire, would you be able to give all of us a brief history of metrication, not only in St. Lucia, but on some of the other Caribbean islands? Which countries of the region are the most metric and which are the least? It seems most people are taught that the US, Burma and Liberia are the only 3 countries not yet metric. Yet it seems there are more. Can you explain why St Lucia and some other countries are just now converting? What is/was the motivating factor? Can you also tell us how much has already metricated in your region and what is left to be done? Is there any resistance and what is being done to counter it? I will look forward to you keeping us up-to-date with progress as it happens. Thanks & Best Regards, http://www.google.com/search?q=saint+lucia+metrication <http://www.google.com/search?q=saint+lucia+metrication <http://www.google.com/search?q=saint+lucia+metrication&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq > &ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq =t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a> &ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a [USMA:51017] RE: Millimetres of Mercury & Millibars of air pressure. Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:56:34 -0700 Hi Saint Lucia will be officially launching its first ever 'Saint Lucia Metric Practice Guide' on September 1, 2011. I note that there is a section 5.2 of the Guide on "Non-SI units accepted for use with the SI" and the millimetre of mercury mmHg is included in that list. While my knowledge of the highly technical aspects of the metric system is limited, it appears to me that mmHg is widely used around the world. However there is a note in the said section 5.2 of the Guide which states that "these units must not be introduced in fields where they are not presently used". (The Saint Lucia Metric Practice Guide was prepared by the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) and the Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat (SLMS); the technical material which forms the core content of the of Guide was kindly provided by the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), an agency of the United States Department of Commerce.) Best regards Judy Rene Coordinator Saint Lucia Metrication Secretariat <<image001.png>>
