Dear APLMF members and colleagues,

On behalf of the APLMF Secretariat I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
It was good to see many of you at the 22nd APLMF Forum held in Hawaii at the end of October.  Since taking over the Presidency, we have been busy completing the transfer of the APLMF Secretariat to New Zealand.  This work has been progressing well.
In February 2016 we intend to set up a bi-monthly newsletter to keep in touch with members but for now I have included updates on the following topics for your information:

1. Refresh of APLMF Website
2. Notification of Verification of Fuel Dispensers training course
3. Invoices for APLMF Membership fees
4. Request for Comments on Guidance for defining the system requirements for a certification system of pre-packages

I look forward to working with you all in 2016 but for now in New Zealand we are on holiday for the coming week:
Best Regards
 
Stephen O’Brien
President
Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum
president@aplmf.org
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1. WEBSITE
   Welcome  to our refreshed website which is still in the process of being reviewed and updated but I would encourage you to visit us regularly, as we are working hard to make it dynamic and relevant to the needs of members.
   As part of this refresh we are updating the member directory containing information on each economy.  In the New Year, each member economy will receive an invitation to update their information.  Currently some of the information on the website is dated - so we would ask when you receive this request that you give it some priority.
   In the New Year we will also be sending all members login instructions and passwords for the new ‘Members only’ and ‘Working Group’ sections of the website.  The details of these are still in the final stages of confirmation and will be sent out once this is completed.
   We are keen on hearing your feedback or suggestions for further improvement to the website.  These can be sent to the secretariat: secretariat@aplmf.org
   
2. Training
   Invitations are open for the MEDEA Verification of Fuel Dispensers training course being held in Pattaya City, Thailand 11-13 July 2016.  Further details can be viewed on the APLMF website.  Please note that registrations close in April 2016. See information brochure:
   Other training courses are planned for 2016, dates and venues will be posted on our website as they are confirmed.
3. Invoices for APLMF Membership Fees Jan – Dec 2016           
   Invoices have been sent out to the primary representative for each Full Member Economy – If you haven’t received your invoice please contact secretariat@aplmf.org  - so we can update our primary contact list and re-send.  Membership fees are due by 30 September 2016
   
4. Request for Comment on Committee Draft 2 of the Guidance for defining the system requirements for a certification system of pre-package’
   At the 22nd APLMF Forum the Working Groups for Goods Packed by Measure agreed to circulate the Committee Draft 2 of the draft OIML document ‘Guidance for defining the system requirements for a certification system of pre-packages’ for member comment. This publication is intended to provide guidance to national authorities on:

• the establishment and maintenance of certification schemes for the control of quantity of product in pre-packages and labelling related to the identity of the product;
• declaration of responsibility for a pre-package, quantity declaration;  and
•  the certification mark associated with the product.

Please submit your comments on the OIML guidance document using this template
The Secretariat of OIML Technical Committee 6 has asked APLMF to collect comments from APLMF members who are non-TC6 members and submit them for consideration.
Deadline for comments from APLMF members is 17 February 2016.
Please submit all comments to the New Zealand TC6 representative, Kevin Gudmundsson kevin.gudmundsson@mbie.govt.nz