Govt forms Jute Commission
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
S M Jahangir
The government has formed a high-powered 'Jute Commission' for salvaging the country's ailing jute industry amid doubts raised by the sector insiders about any positive outcome.
The Ministry of Textile and Jute announced recently the formation of the 19-member Commission through a circular.
"The government has formed a Jute Commission to revitalise and develop the local jute industry, aiming to increase the sector's contribution to the country's economy," the official circular said.
Headed by prominent economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman
Ahmad, the Commission will identify the problems of both private and public jute mills and recommend the government for their remedies, official sources said.
The Commission is comprised of economists, agriculturists, experts, senior officials of agriculture, finance and commerce ministries, leaders from private jute mills associations, trade body representative and a senior executive of International Jute Study Group, they mentioned.
However, the Commission has been empowered to co-opt any competent person(s) in it, said the official circular.
The major responsibilities of the independent body will be to deal with the issues regarding the promotion of jute in foreign countries, reduction of production costs in local mills, integration of public and private entrepreneurs with the sector's overall development process and development of high-yielding jute seed in the country.
The Commission will also be responsible for receiving opinions from the stakeholders on the problems and prospects of local jute industry, strengthening the research and other development activities and promoting private-public initiative to boost exports of local jute goods.
Besides, it will also recommend the government for taking necessary policies especially on tariff, tax and other incentive support for the development of the country's jute industry, the circular said.
Besides, the body will also look into the matters relating to holding of fairs both at local and international levels and strengthening the activities of Bangladesh missions abroad for enhancing the exports of local jute and jute goods, it added.
It, however, mentioned that the Commission would have to hold meetings at least once every two months and also submit its first report before the Ministry of Textile and Jute within six months from its formation.
The private jute millers, on the other hand, have expressed their doubts about whether or not the creation of the Commission would yield any positive results in salvaging the country's jute industry.
Citing some of the previous experiences, the industry insiders said a 16-member taskforce, which was formed by the past caretaker government in March 2008, had placed a number of recommendations before the government but those are still gathering dusts.
Besides, the government and jute ministry had assured the private mill owners of taking necessary steps for resolving the problems of local jute sector, but no positive actions were in the cards, they observed.
"Despite the fact, we are hoping that the new Jute Commission would come up with positive recommendations and the government will implement them accordingly," said a private jute mill operator.
The government has formed a high-powered 'Jute Commission' for salvaging the country's ailing jute industry amid doubts raised by the sector insiders about any positive outcome.
The Ministry of Textile and Jute announced recently the formation of the 19-member Commission through a circular.
"The government has formed a Jute Commission to revitalise and develop the local jute industry, aiming to increase the sector's contribution to the country's economy," the official circular said.
Headed by prominent economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman
Ahmad, the Commission will identify the problems of both private and public jute mills and recommend the government for their remedies, official sources said.
The Commission is comprised of economists, agriculturists, experts, senior officials of agriculture, finance and commerce ministries, leaders from private jute mills associations, trade body representative and a senior executive of International Jute Study Group, they mentioned.
However, the Commission has been empowered to co-opt any competent person(s) in it, said the official circular.
The major responsibilities of the independent body will be to deal with the issues regarding the promotion of jute in foreign countries, reduction of production costs in local mills, integration of public and private entrepreneurs with the sector's overall development process and development of high-yielding jute seed in the country.
The Commission will also be responsible for receiving opinions from the stakeholders on the problems and prospects of local jute industry, strengthening the research and other development activities and promoting private-public initiative to boost exports of local jute goods.
Besides, it will also recommend the government for taking necessary policies especially on tariff, tax and other incentive support for the development of the country's jute industry, the circular said.
Besides, the body will also look into the matters relating to holding of fairs both at local and international levels and strengthening the activities of Bangladesh missions abroad for enhancing the exports of local jute and jute goods, it added.
It, however, mentioned that the Commission would have to hold meetings at least once every two months and also submit its first report before the Ministry of Textile and Jute within six months from its formation.
The private jute millers, on the other hand, have expressed their doubts about whether or not the creation of the Commission would yield any positive results in salvaging the country's jute industry.
Citing some of the previous experiences, the industry insiders said a 16-member taskforce, which was formed by the past caretaker government in March 2008, had placed a number of recommendations before the government but those are still gathering dusts.
Besides, the government and jute ministry had assured the private mill owners of taking necessary steps for resolving the problems of local jute sector, but no positive actions were in the cards, they observed.
"Despite the fact, we are hoping that the new Jute Commission would come up with positive recommendations and the government will implement them accordingly," said a private jute mill operator.