A new jute policy on the cards
Friday, 15 June 2007
FE Report
The interim government has taken a fresh move to constitute a new jute policy for the revival of the ailing sector.
"A new policy on the country's jute sector is underway to give a boost to its development," a sector insider said.
Enhancement of the country's jute production capacity, diversification of product base, ways to attract foreign investment and increase of export earnings are high on the policy agenda, the source said.
A high-profile meeting was held Thursday on the formation of a new jute policy with the Secretary of the Textile and Jute Ministry Abdur Rashid Sarkar in the Chair.
Officials of relevant government agencies and representatives from the private jute mills operators and their trade bodies were present at the meeting.
The meeting assigned a committee, headed by director general of the Department of Jute, to prepare a draft Jute Policy.
Besides, the meeting gave the committee one-month time for submitting the final draft before the ministry, a meeting source told the FE.
It also advised the committee to make comprehensive proposals for the proposed policy in line with a previous draft, which was prepared in consultation with the stakeholders of the country's jute industry.
To this effect, the meeting decided to include representatives from the ministries of finance and agriculture in the policy formation process.
According to the industry insiders, the main objectives of the proposed policy are to enhance productivity of the local jute industries through modernisation of their machinery so that the country can raise its share in the export market.
Another objective of the policy is expansion of jute cultivation through introduction of high-yielding variety of crops and motivation of farmers, sources said.
Continuation of the current process of divesting the state-run jute mills though protecting the interest of the workers will be another important agenda of the proposed policy, they said.
The interim government has taken a fresh move to constitute a new jute policy for the revival of the ailing sector.
"A new policy on the country's jute sector is underway to give a boost to its development," a sector insider said.
Enhancement of the country's jute production capacity, diversification of product base, ways to attract foreign investment and increase of export earnings are high on the policy agenda, the source said.
A high-profile meeting was held Thursday on the formation of a new jute policy with the Secretary of the Textile and Jute Ministry Abdur Rashid Sarkar in the Chair.
Officials of relevant government agencies and representatives from the private jute mills operators and their trade bodies were present at the meeting.
The meeting assigned a committee, headed by director general of the Department of Jute, to prepare a draft Jute Policy.
Besides, the meeting gave the committee one-month time for submitting the final draft before the ministry, a meeting source told the FE.
It also advised the committee to make comprehensive proposals for the proposed policy in line with a previous draft, which was prepared in consultation with the stakeholders of the country's jute industry.
To this effect, the meeting decided to include representatives from the ministries of finance and agriculture in the policy formation process.
According to the industry insiders, the main objectives of the proposed policy are to enhance productivity of the local jute industries through modernisation of their machinery so that the country can raise its share in the export market.
Another objective of the policy is expansion of jute cultivation through introduction of high-yielding variety of crops and motivation of farmers, sources said.
Continuation of the current process of divesting the state-run jute mills though protecting the interest of the workers will be another important agenda of the proposed policy, they said.