Textile millers demand central ETP for cluster of industries
Sunday, 9 August 2009
FE Report
Textile mill owners Saturday urged the government to group industrial units into clusters to bring them under one central effluent treatment plant in each zone, as individual plant is not viable for many entrepreneurs.
Their demand came after the Bangladesh Bank set up a refinancing scheme worth Tk 2.0 billion for installation of ETPs in factories to cut environmental pollution and create eco-friendly industries across the country.
The fund will allow the investors to take loans of up to Tk 10.0 million at nine per cent interest rate to set up an ETP, which, the factory owners said Saturday, would help them lessen their financial burden.
"A quality ETP costs over Tk 10.0 million, which many factories cannot afford," said Bangladesh Textile Mills Association president Abdul Hai Sarker.
"There are many dyeing mills which are not financially sound. The cost of setting up of an ETP is sometimes higher than their total investment, which makes the plant financially nonviable for them."
The government should take steps to make a cluster by grouping the factories and then set up central ETP to lower the cost, he said.
The BTMA president said the government could divide industrial belts into four zones-Dhaka, Narsingdi, Joydevpur and Savar- to set up central ETP at each zone.
The textile mill owners urged the authorities to cut import duty and value added tax on chemicals used in effluent plant.
They also urged the government to take steps so that the entrepreneurs do not face any harassment in getting the loan.
Textile mill owners Saturday urged the government to group industrial units into clusters to bring them under one central effluent treatment plant in each zone, as individual plant is not viable for many entrepreneurs.
Their demand came after the Bangladesh Bank set up a refinancing scheme worth Tk 2.0 billion for installation of ETPs in factories to cut environmental pollution and create eco-friendly industries across the country.
The fund will allow the investors to take loans of up to Tk 10.0 million at nine per cent interest rate to set up an ETP, which, the factory owners said Saturday, would help them lessen their financial burden.
"A quality ETP costs over Tk 10.0 million, which many factories cannot afford," said Bangladesh Textile Mills Association president Abdul Hai Sarker.
"There are many dyeing mills which are not financially sound. The cost of setting up of an ETP is sometimes higher than their total investment, which makes the plant financially nonviable for them."
The government should take steps to make a cluster by grouping the factories and then set up central ETP to lower the cost, he said.
The BTMA president said the government could divide industrial belts into four zones-Dhaka, Narsingdi, Joydevpur and Savar- to set up central ETP at each zone.
The textile mill owners urged the authorities to cut import duty and value added tax on chemicals used in effluent plant.
They also urged the government to take steps so that the entrepreneurs do not face any harassment in getting the loan.