A business directory containing more than 25,000 addresses of global apparel buyers in 160 countries was launched Saturday with hopes that it would help Bangladesh entrepreneurs expand their export destinations and thus post higher growth of exports.
It also gives important information such as import statistics, lists of importable items, and tariff and non-tariff structures on knitwear and oven garments across the globe.
The guidebook-titled 'Global Buyers' Information Directory'-especially holds tips on the trade in the European Union (EU) countries, the United States of America (USA), Latin America, Japan, China, Australia, South Africa, Russia and Caribbean Islands.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) published the business guidebook for the benefits of the country's businessmen in the readymade garment (RMG) sector.
Launching the directory as chief guest at a ceremony at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the government will extend all-out cooperation to the businesses so that Bangladesh could become a middle-income country by 2021.
"We will provide all kinds of supports to the businessmen so that we could reach our target of earning US$50 billion through export," he further said.
The minister will take initiative to hold a meeting of businesspeople of different sectors, including Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), BKMEA, and Bangladesh Terry Towel Manufactures and Exporters Association, for resolving the problems facing businesses.
He said the county had started exporting goods to non-traditional markets apart from the traditional ones.
In this regard, he mentioned that a Latin American country,
Chile, will grant Bangladeshi products duty-free market access from January 2015.
The commerce minister assured the BKMEA leaders of help in opening a fire-service station in Narayanganj soon and establishing a 'garment palli (village) at Shantirchar in the district.
"Let us work together in the interest of country's economy so that we could turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021," he told his business audience.
President of BKMEA A K M Salim Osman MP presided over the function while First Vice-President of BKMEA
AH Aslam Sani delivered the address of welcome.
State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Haque Chunnu, speaking as a special guest, said the Department of Labour and the BKMEA will jointly build a hospital for garment workers in Narayanganj.
Mr. Salim Osman called upon the government to provide uninterrupted supply of power, gas and water. He said that the knitwear factories are now running to their 60 per cent capacity for shortage of utility services.
"If we get uninterrupted supplies of power, gas and water, it will be possible for us to utilise our cent-percent capacity for production that will help increase our export growth," he said.
He suggested that the government should give them subsidy for diesel-if gas is not possible right now-to keep the wheels of the industry running.
The MP proposed that the government provide Tk 30 million for building a hospital for RMG workers in Narayanganj-his home city.
Mr. Aslam Sani said it is possible to increase knitwear exports by 7 per cent within the next seven years.
Mansoor Ahmed, Second Vice-President of BKMEA, delivered the concluding speech.
The RMG (both oven and knit) sector is a prime source of country's foreign-currency incomes.
Bangladesh exported goods worth $30.19 billion in the last fiscal year, with the RMG sector alone contributing some $24.05 billion.
Over 4 million people-eighty percent of them women-are employed in the apparel sector. Coming from less-fortunate sections of society, they now rely on their own foot to maintain their livelihoods.
Knitwear factories under the BKMEA, the apex trade body of the apparel sub-sector established on December 2, 1996, have maintained an aggregate 12 per cent growth. They earned over $12 billion from export during the fiscal year (FY) 2013-14.
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