Advisory body for bringing private entities under law
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
FE Report
The Advisory Committee on implementation of Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 has decided to recommend bringing private organisations concerned within the purview of the existing law to ensure a level-playing field with state agencies. The decision was taken at the second meeting of the committee, which was held recently at the secretariat. Textile and Jute Secretary Md Ashraful Makbul was in the chair. Top officials and representatives from ministries of industries, commerce, environment, textile and jute, home affairs, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI), Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA), Directorate General (DG) of Food, Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Bangladesh Chamber of Industry (BCI) were present at the meeting. Under the decision, private organisations that are involved in production, storage and transportation of food grains, sugar and fertilisers etc., will be brought under the Act in phases. The decision of the committee came after its meeting. It was told in the meeting that the state-run entities would have to face an uneven competition with private sectors if the law was made applicable for the government organisations alone. The meeting was also informed that the prices of jute-made packaging bags are 'considerably higher' than those of plastic, poly-bags and synthetic ones. On October 3 last, parliament passed the Mandatory Jute Packaging Bill but the necessary rules on the law are yet to be framed. The government formed the Advisory Committee for implementation of the jute packaging law through providing necessary inputs and recommendations until the rules are framed under the law. Apart from its decision to bring the private organisations within the purview of the new law, the second meeting of the Advisory Committee also decided that Directorate of Food, BADC and BCIC would take steps to purchase jute bags both from the government and the private suppliers during the remaining months of this fiscal. The meeting also asked the suppliers of jute bags, namely the BJMC and the BJMA, to take appropriate measures to supply the bags according to the demand of the agencies concerned. Such a decision came after some state-run organisations informed the meeting that they had almost completed purchase of their required packaging bags (other than jute-made ones) for the current fiscal 2010-2011. They also observed that apart from higher costs, there also remain some technical problems in the use of jute bags for storage of cement, sugar and fertilisers. The chairman of the Advisory Committee told the meeting that it was mandatory for all concerned to use jute bags under the law.
The Advisory Committee on implementation of Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 has decided to recommend bringing private organisations concerned within the purview of the existing law to ensure a level-playing field with state agencies. The decision was taken at the second meeting of the committee, which was held recently at the secretariat. Textile and Jute Secretary Md Ashraful Makbul was in the chair. Top officials and representatives from ministries of industries, commerce, environment, textile and jute, home affairs, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI), Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA), Directorate General (DG) of Food, Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Bangladesh Chamber of Industry (BCI) were present at the meeting. Under the decision, private organisations that are involved in production, storage and transportation of food grains, sugar and fertilisers etc., will be brought under the Act in phases. The decision of the committee came after its meeting. It was told in the meeting that the state-run entities would have to face an uneven competition with private sectors if the law was made applicable for the government organisations alone. The meeting was also informed that the prices of jute-made packaging bags are 'considerably higher' than those of plastic, poly-bags and synthetic ones. On October 3 last, parliament passed the Mandatory Jute Packaging Bill but the necessary rules on the law are yet to be framed. The government formed the Advisory Committee for implementation of the jute packaging law through providing necessary inputs and recommendations until the rules are framed under the law. Apart from its decision to bring the private organisations within the purview of the new law, the second meeting of the Advisory Committee also decided that Directorate of Food, BADC and BCIC would take steps to purchase jute bags both from the government and the private suppliers during the remaining months of this fiscal. The meeting also asked the suppliers of jute bags, namely the BJMC and the BJMA, to take appropriate measures to supply the bags according to the demand of the agencies concerned. Such a decision came after some state-run organisations informed the meeting that they had almost completed purchase of their required packaging bags (other than jute-made ones) for the current fiscal 2010-2011. They also observed that apart from higher costs, there also remain some technical problems in the use of jute bags for storage of cement, sugar and fertilisers. The chairman of the Advisory Committee told the meeting that it was mandatory for all concerned to use jute bags under the law.