RMG inspection moving ahead

THE persistent  demand from international retailers' platform  for raising safety standards of our garments factories in the wake of certain disasters  has been moving the sector  on to a   corrective path. This is evidenced by the following revelation: Engineers of the Euro-sponsored Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh on an inspection tour here has found only '2 percent of the inspected factories unsafe for production and occupancy.'

 As many as 1000 factories inspected for fire, electrical and and structural safety . With the number of deficient  ones being less than 2percent  an impression has formed that  the factories in Bangladesh are not as unsafe as thought earlier.”It  is hoped that buyers ' confidence will increase further after this “, observed Roy Ramesh Chandra, general secretary, IndustriALL Bangladesh Council.

This good news coincides with another nice development.A rather long running  dispute  between two inspection agencies Accord and Alliance  appears to have been put behind.They have decided to avoid  duplication in the inspection of  300 common garments factories.This is a significant unity of purpose  reflected by Accord representing  the European platform and  Alliance  , the inspection agency for 26 US based retailers and brands.

The job is yet to be completed.Six hundred  hundred  still remain to be brought under the scanner.Also ,execution of corrective action plans in the common factories is awaited.The factory owners  should  remain firmly committed to the task.