RMG export diversification top priority of Sammilita Parishad

Sammilita Parishad, a panel contesting the upcoming BGMEA election, on Tuesday made a number of promises, with the priority to increase locally made garment export and its share on the global market.
Diversifying both market and the readymade garment (RMG) items and branding the image of the industry will also be their top agenda.
The panel as part of its election manifesto also announced that it would propose the RMG stakeholders, including the government and workers' representatives, to consider the necessity of setting up new wage board to review RMG workers' minimum monthly wages after each five years, saying a 5.0 per cent annual increment had been effective since 2013.
Sammilita Parishad panel leader and Managing Director of Giant Group Faruque Hassan announced their election manifesto at a press conference held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka Hotel.
His other priorities included getting the government's policy support and increasing the loan repayment duration from existing 18 months, and reducing the size of instalment amount.
Former presidents of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy, Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and Siddiqur Rahman, among others, were present at the event.
"The first priority of the panel will be recovering the readymade garment sector from the Covid-19 fallout as the export of the sector declined to $27 billion from $34 billion in the financial year 2019-20 due to the pandemic," said Faruque Hassan.
Gaining more shares in the global market and diversifying both the market and the products will also be their propriety if the panel is elected at the BGMEA election for the period of 2021-23.
The BGMEA biennial election is scheduled to be held on April 04. Forum led by Hannan Group chairman ABM Shamsuddin is also contesting the election.
The Sammilita Parishad, if elected, will work with the government and European Union for retaining the Generalised System of Preference in the EU market up to 2031 even after the graduation of Bangladesh from the least developed country.
In its manifesto, the panel leader also promised to form a taskforce with the government to ensure GSP plus facility for locally made apparel in the EU market and to include regular RMG items on the duty free product list of China.
The panel will take initiative to hire a lobbyist to get duty-free market access for Bangladeshi made apparel to the USA market, he added.
"We will ensure transparency and accountability of RMG sustainability council and introduce unified code of conduct for social compliance in the factories," Mr Hassan promised.
Calling on BGMEA members to vote Sammilita Parishad, former BGMEA president Mr Murshedy said the Parishad had been formed with mixture of experienced, talented and young people who would be able to help the sector recover from the Covid-19 fallout.
He also urged their opponent panel in the elections not to make any baseless comment about the Sammilita Parishad.

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