The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Business leaders yesterday reiterated their demand for a separate ministry for the apparel sector to help it providing instant support to keep it fit for competing in the global market.

They urged the Government to develop infrastructure in global standard and also to set up industrial parks as the major export sector is facing new challenges in the international market.

The Business leaders were speaking at a roundtable discussion on the Future of the RMG and Textile Sector: Making Bangladesh more Competitive organized by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) in its conference room in the city.

Textile and Jute Secretary Md Abdur Rashid Sarker, who was present as special guest at the function, took note of the concerns raised by the owners and assured to take necessary steps.

BGMEA President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury said, "Bangladesh is able to compete in the global market. "We have our price strategy; we have our quality level. Now the country will have to work with a good lead time."

BKMEA President Fazlul Hoque said, "Bangladesh knitwear has already secured its position among the top five countries in the world. Now we aim at achieving the top position and we are working to this end.

Kihak Sung, Chairman and CEO of Youngone Group, presented the keynote paper on the topic sighting at the future of the garment and textile sector in Bangladesh and the necessary steps the industry should take to face the competition from the region.

Kihak Sung in his paper depicted a bright prospect for Bangladesh apparel. Workers in Bangladesh are ingenious. They can perform better than other countries if trained properly.

Bangladeshis are also more skilled in English than Chinese. So, the country is having the advantage in trade negotiation in western countries, he observed.

BTMA President Abdul Hai Sarker and Executive Director of UCEP Brig Gen Aftab Uddin Ahmed also took part in the discussion moderated by BEI president Faruque Sobhan.

The speakers stressed skill development of the workers in the apparel sector. Managers and mid-level officials should be sensitive to the problems of workers. They need to be cautious about workers sentiments also, the garment owners said.

They admitted that some factories failed to implement the prevailing pay structure when wages and facilities for RMG workers needed to be increased keeping in view the competitiveness of the sector.

According to Government report, about half of the readymade garment factories do not implement social and workplace compliances including minimum wages for their workers.

Labour rights groups are saying that the minimum pay remained far away from a living wage for apparel workers, hard hit by soaring food prices.

Bangladesh relies on garments for more than three-quarters of its exports. About 1.8m people, most of them women, work in garment factories while as many as 15 million more in support industries depend on the trade for their survival.