Tanners and traders have demanded that the government arrange cold storage facilities at the grassroots level to ensure the optimum preservation of rawhides of the sacrificial animals.
They observed that it was easily possible to preserve the rawhides by modernising the unused cold storages lying in different areas of the country.
If the cold storage facility was ensured at the grassroots level, then it would be possible to save a huge quantity of rawhides of sacrificial animals from rooting during Eid-ul-Azha, they opined.
They came up with the observations at a meeting of the standing committee of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) on Saturday.
The meeting styled ' Hide and Skin, Leather, Leather Goods and Artificial Leather Affairs' was held at the apex trade body's Motijheel office in the capital.
Attending the meeting as the chief guest, Senior Vice-president of FBCCI Md Amin Helaly said that the government should step up storage facility for preserving rawhides at the district level.
He also said that the private sector could be involved in the government efforts.
Mr Helaly said that hundred per cent compliance must be ensured in the leather and leather goods industry sector.
He also laid emphasis on capacity building of the country's leather and leather goods industry.
Director in charge of the standing committee Md Saiful Islam said, "The leather industry was shifted to Savar, Dhaka from the capital's Hajaribagh area long time ago. Partial functioning of the Central Effluent Treatment Plant at the Savar Tannery Estate coupled with weakness in solid waste management is one of the main bottlenecks in getting compliance certificate of Leather Working Group."
Chairman of the committee and former director of FBCCI Shahin Ahmed presided over the meeting.
He stressed the need for providing easy-term bank loans to the small and medium-scale leather and leather goods entrepreneurs.
Mr Shahim also sought government intervention in resolving non-tariff barriers in exporting hides.
The standing committee members at the discussion put forward some recommendations that include ensuring easy access to soft loans for the entrepreneurs of the sector, creating skilled manpower for the sector, giving proper training to the butchers, introducing short diploma course on leather technology, paying all dues of the hide and skin traders and taking effective steps to help entrepreneurs obtain environmental certificate.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com