Still Not Measuring Up:

Follow-Up on Recommendations Made in Report No. 13-01, Management Audit of the Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Branch

From Hawaii State Auditor, Report 16-06, May, 2016

Hiring delays and decline in number of inspections continue at the Measurement Standards Branch

In our follow-up of recommendations made in Report No. 13-01, Management Audit of the Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Branch, we found that despite having secured state funding since 2012, the chairperson of the Board of Agriculture has neither re-established nor filled the branch’s program manager and inspector positions. As a result, the Measurement Standards Branch (MSB) is still not carrying out its inspection duties or responsibilities. Inspections of petroleum meters, scales, and taxi meters continue to decline, by as much as 85 percent for petroleum meters. In addition, neighbor island inspections continue to be ignored. Consequently, there is a continued risk that consumers and businesses are not being protected from inaccurate or fraudulent business practices.

Background on Report No. 13-01

We released Report No. 13-01, Management Audit of the Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Branch, in March 2013. The audit was prompted by the 2012 Legislature, which was concerned that the FY2010 reduction of the State’s workforce had reduced the branch’s ability to properly carry out its duties. Specifically, the Auditor was asked to focus on the current state of the branch and make recommendations on the resources needed by the branch to fulfill its responsibilities.

read … Still Not Measuring Up

Report No. 13-01, Management Audit of the Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Branch

SA: Food, taxi, gas gauges still going unchecked, per auditor