The New Nation - Internet Edition

A.T.M.Nurun Nabi

There is one kind of complacent that the readymade garments industry (RMG) alone earns 76 percent of the country's total export earnings and has contributed a lot in the country's economic development and created job opportunities for two million people. But the admirers have forgotten that the country uses to pay a good amount in foreign currency every year in importing apparels for use at home.

It is claimed that about seven lakh workers work in those factories to manufacture apparels. But sadly, the local markets have been flooded with the Chinese, the Indians and the Thai goods. The president of the internal garments manufacturing samity said that they are required to pay duties three times for import of accessories needed to produce apparels. To the contrary, those who directly import apparels, pay duty only one time. As a result, the price of the locally produced apparel becomes higher than that of the imported one. Thus, the foreign goods have driven away the homemade apparels. If it continues for some more periods, thousands of workers will lose their jobs, which will not be a good tiding.

To this, economists are of the view that the government should implement 'Trade Protection Law' to safeguard the interests of the locally produced products. It is not acceptable that a part of the export earnings from apparels will be spent behind importing apparels. Another danger is likely to come down from the European Union and the USA, which will lift sanctions on China by the end of the year 2008 to shatter the BGMEA and the BKMEA's pledge of exporting 15 billion dollars by 2012.

Howbeit, similar apprehensions were made in 2004 by some quarters. They said that, with the withdrawal of multi-fiber agreement (MFA), the country's export garments would largely fall short of target and thousands of workers would lose their jobs and a social unrest might take place. The apprehension, however, did not prove correct. A garments worker of the city's Gulshan Area confidently said at that time, "We have no fear of retrenchment because we give labour and get our wage in due time. The condition of our factory is sound and we are not worried at all."

That worker might not have any idea about MFA, sanctions, compliance etc., but he knew that he would be nowhere at least temporarily if the factory were closed. This was his one kind of consciousness. And the BGMEA and the BKMEA leaders were also very much conscious of their doings. They overcame the MFA syndrome and advanced more. Similarly China would be no barrier to Bangladesh's advancement.