BGMEA seeks soft loans from banks

Dhaka, Sept 8 (UNB)- Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has demanded soft-loan for six months to pay salary and Eid bonus to workers as many of the factory owners turned insolvent. “We received 35 less export orders this year and hence it will be difficult for many of the factory owners to pay salary and Eid bonus to workers,” BGMEA president Anwarul-Ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) told at a press conference in his office today. He urged the government to declare the garment industry as ‘Thrust Sector’ and sought a separate ministry to deal with this sector. “The garment industry has to coordinate with many departments of the government and sometimes it created difficulties,” said Anwar justifying his demand for separate Apparel Ministry to look after the problems of the sector. He said the garment industry has potentials of export earning of US$ 15 to 18 billions annually within next three years by raising the capacity. “If we are able to occupy only 4 percent of the world market, our export-earning will go up to 25 billion US dollars. It is even possible to earn 50 billion US dollars annually by next 10 years,” he said. The BGMEA president observed that many graduates, post-graduates and skilled personnel turned out by vocational institutes remained unemployed. But the garment sector has provided 25-30 percent of unskilled workers. BGMEA vice presidents Faisal Samad, Ferdous Parvez Bivon, ABM Shamduddin and directors were present at the press conference.