Industry Minister Dilip Barua Tuesday said cleaner environment in the industry is necessary for attaining global standard.
"Today, we have no other alternative but to use and adopt technology supporting cleaner environment," he said while addressing the opening ceremony of the project titled 'Reduction of Environmental Threats and Increase of Exportability of Bangladesh Leather Products' at the auditorium of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) in the city.
The SWITCH Asia Project is being jointly implemented by DCCI, Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA), SEQUA, bfz and UNIDO.
The project will be implemented in three years at a cost of 2,071,000 Euro. European Union will provide 90 per cent of the budget and the rest will come from SEQUA, a non-profit service organisation of the German Chambers and Employers' Associations.
Other partners of the project are UNIDO, Bavarian Employers Association of Germany, DCCI and BFLLFEA.
The project aims at helping local Bangladeshi leather-based industry sustain conversion of locally available raw hides and skins into exportable products, either directly as genuine leather or as derived finished product, organisers said.
Speaking as chief guest, Barua said: "We need to change the ways we process and produce products to have a healthy environment."
The minister termed the Switch-Asia project as the appropriate strategy to improve the leather sector.
He informed that Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industry Corporation under the Ministry of Industries had already undertaken a project at Savar for the purpose of shifting of tanneries from Hazaribagh.
"We are going to set up a central effluent plant within a short time for smooth industrial waste management. We will be able to relocate the tanneries of Hazaribagh for better productivity under cleaner environment after its completion," he said.
He said: "These two projects are complimentary to each other in ensuring cleaner productivity and marketing of leather and leather products abroad."
Mr Barua said the sector earned $413.05 million in fiscal 2006-07, of which the contribution of leather is $266.08 million, footwear $135.94 million and leather goods $11.03 million.
He said: "The development of the leather sector is essential to achieve better growth rate."
The minister said the present government has strong commitment to the development of corporate social responsibility in the business and commercial sectors of Bangladesh.
