CA asks BGMEA to comply with wage guidelines
Unb, Dhaka
Chief Adviser (CA) Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday noted with satisfaction a laudable contribution of RMG to the national economy and urged the BGMEA leaders to follow the guidelines of compliance in paying salaries to the garment employees. He assured maintaining government cooperation in materialising the apparel owners and exporters' next three years' export target envisaged at 15 to 18 billion US dollars, as apprised by the leaders. The CA expressed the views when a 10-member delegation of the newly elected body of BGMEA led by its president Anwarul Alam made a courtesy call on him at his office. The BGMEA leaders apprised him that readymade garment (RMG) sector has raised its export earning to $ 9 billion in a crescendo over the last 30 years. "Some 76 percent of the country's foreign- exchange earnings come from RMG sector where 24 lakh people are employed, 80 percent of them women," the delegation said. They put forward some recommendations for attaining their targeted export earnings in the next three years. Those include government's cooperation in enhancing Bangladesh's image abroad with cooperation from Bangladesh missions, appointment of trade councilors to each mission, further development of infrastructure, declaring one-day weekend on Sundays, 10 percent or less loan interest and quick government steps to rehabilitate the sick garment industries. They sought government cooperation for providing soft loan for installation of Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and allocating land in the city's Uttara area for Bangladesh Institute of Fashion Training (BIFT) as every year the institute imparts training to a good number of people. Also, they sought cooperation in human resource development. The CA suggested that government and private sectors should work together to the mutual benefit of the two saying that the significant contribution of RMG to the economy is a glowing example of government-private sector partnership. The government would extend cooperation in human resource development and look into the matter of land for BIFT, Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, who was present at the meeting, quoted the CA as saying. About sick industries, the CA said the meaning of sick industry should be analysed for identifying such industries. Regarding loan interest, he suggested discussing the matter with the respective banks. The CA emphasised obeying the edicts of compliance and installation of ETP. Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Mazumder and Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed were also present.
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