Expats' earnings fatten state coffers during recession: BAIRA chief
Friday, 18 December 2009
FE Report
BAIRA president Golam Mostafa refuted the claim that the readymade garment (RMG) sector is the highest foreign currency earner saying time has come to recognise migrant workers' contribution to scaling up this important economic indicator.
"It is a proven fact that migrant workers are the highest foreign currency earners," he said adding that workers have managed to increase our remittance earnings to double digits even during the recession although both their job markets and earnings were hit by it.
The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency (BAIRA) chief said this on Thursday at a press conference in the city.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry in association with some non-government organisations arranged the briefing on the eve of the 'International Migrants' Day' on December 18.
The United Nations declared the day in 2000 based on a resolution taken by 26 countries including Bangladesh.
The BAIRA president said migrant workers have made a record by sending remittances during the ongoing recession, although half of them were sent back to the country and resented the government's silence on announcing a stimulus package for the recession-hit workers.
"The RMG sector is not the highest foreign currency earner in the real sense, but it started getting a stimulus package from the government thanks to their inability to pay salaries and allowances to the workers, while BAIRA's demand for Tk 50 billion stimulus for the adversely hit expatriate workers has yet to be met," Mr Mostafa said.
BAIRA president Golam Mostafa refuted the claim that the readymade garment (RMG) sector is the highest foreign currency earner saying time has come to recognise migrant workers' contribution to scaling up this important economic indicator.
"It is a proven fact that migrant workers are the highest foreign currency earners," he said adding that workers have managed to increase our remittance earnings to double digits even during the recession although both their job markets and earnings were hit by it.
The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency (BAIRA) chief said this on Thursday at a press conference in the city.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry in association with some non-government organisations arranged the briefing on the eve of the 'International Migrants' Day' on December 18.
The United Nations declared the day in 2000 based on a resolution taken by 26 countries including Bangladesh.
The BAIRA president said migrant workers have made a record by sending remittances during the ongoing recession, although half of them were sent back to the country and resented the government's silence on announcing a stimulus package for the recession-hit workers.
"The RMG sector is not the highest foreign currency earner in the real sense, but it started getting a stimulus package from the government thanks to their inability to pay salaries and allowances to the workers, while BAIRA's demand for Tk 50 billion stimulus for the adversely hit expatriate workers has yet to be met," Mr Mostafa said.