Fresh talks initiated to set up core authority for RMG

The country's apparel makers have renewed their move for creation of a core authority to face emerging challenges in safety compliances and its long-term sustainability.
Currently, the garment factory owners have to go door-to-door for pursuing their business affairs. A number of agencies are engaged in looking into their issues, the industry insiders said adding there is no effective coordination among them.
Keeping this in view, the leaders of the three apparel sector apex bodies --BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA -- have initiated fresh talks with the higher authorities of the government to create an exclusive authority for the sector.
To control and supervise its state of affairs, the sector leaders demanded a core authority to provide one-stop service to the sector that has emerged as the country's largest foreign currency earner in gross aggregate terms, they added.
Although the sector leaders have been pressing the government for establishing a single authority, no initiative in this regard has yet been taken.
Following their demand, the government recently declared the Textiles and Jute Ministry as the regulatory authority for the sector which the industry insiders have found to be not satisfactory.   
According to them, different ministries and agencies including those of textiles and jute, commerce and labour and employment, environment, Board of Investment, Fire Brigade and Civil Defence authority look into various aspects of the industry. But there is no effective coordination among them.
As a result, ensuring compliance with necessary safety safeguards in most of the readymade garment (RMG) factories still remains a far cry, they observed.
The government and the trade promotion body in the sector usually take some steps, mostly of ad-hoc nature but these hardly yield any fruit, they noted.
"We need a core ministry to handle all the issues related to trade licences and all the required certificates and approvals that are needed to set up a garment factory," Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said.
An entrepreneur needs 13 to 18 approvals from different government agencies including the Board of Investment, the Customs, the VAT Department, the City Corporation and the RAJUK, he pointed out.
"There is a lack of co-ordination among these agencies and it takes too long a time to get all the services due to a lot of bureaucratic procedures," he said.
"We will inform such an authority about our needs and it would co-ordinate with others," he explained.
"We want one-stop service under one roof and only a single ministry will serve the purpose better to do all the works from issuing trade licence to all that are needed for setting up of a garment factory," Md Hatem, first vice president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA)  said.
The Jute Ministry is going to be our parent ministry but our demand of one-stop service must be ensured, he added.
The demand for a single authority has now become all the more strong following the Savar tragedy as new safety requirements have emerged with certification from different agencies especially in terms of structural integrity.
A factory building, that was built 20 years back, now needs a certificate from the RAJUK while the approval was taken from the local government agency, Mr Azim explained adding the sector now needs more logistic support.
"About five ministries and many departments are controlling the garment sector haphazardly," another manufacturer said.
"This is creating panic among all. An integrated authority is needed to decide do's and don'ts," he added.
However, BGMEA, BKMEA and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) leaders in a meeting with the State Minister for Textiles and Jute Ministry demanded a core authority to provide all required services under one umbrella and formulate guidelines in this regard.
The meeting also discussed about the need to specify which ministry is responsible for what and how to coordinate among these, a meeting source said adding they are likely to form a committee to look into the issues.
The minister assured the sector leaders that the government would scrutinise all the issues.