BGMEA to press for apparel price raise to meet wage hike

Enhancement of apparel prices in line with the newly-announced wage structure for garment workers and restoration of global buyers' business confidence would dominate the next meeting of the apparel makers with the buyers' representatives, sources said Tuesday.

The leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will sit with the representatives of the global buyers on February 3 next. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed is expected to attend the meeting as chief guest.

The BGMEA leaders also requested the minister to urge the buyers to help the readymade garment (RMG) sector implement the enhanced wage and extend support in ensuring safety compliance issues.

"The sector is passing through a tough time for various reasons which are seriously affecting the business," Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told the FE Tuesday.

To regain the buyers' confidence for smooth business, the Commerce Minister is expected to attend the meeting and brief the buyers' representatives about the present situation following our request, he added.

He said the garment sector has been facing a severe image crisis across the world during the last one year due to one-after-another industrial disasters. The buyers were also shaky in placing orders following  recent political unrest.

A number of buyers dropped and shifted their orders from Bangladesh to other countries following disruption in the supply chain, he added.  

"We hope, the minister's assurance will help restore their confidence about a stable situation and security of their investment," Mr Azim said.

 Though normalcy has started returning after the national polls, the response of the global buyers is not encouraging as they already got a bitter experience," Md Hatem, vice president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA) said.