The leather sector is going to open a website named 'Promote Bangladesh Leather' with a view to helping grow the industry and connecting buyers and stakeholders across the world.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu will inaugurate the website today (Sunday) at a function in the city.
Tannery associations created the website with support from the Asia Foundation and South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). The address of the website will be www.promotebangladeshleather.com.
"The website will provide the latest information of the sector, receive suggestions and recommendations and continuously communicate with local and global stakeholders," President of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA) Mohammad Abu Taher told the FE.
He said the website will keep an updated database of the industry, especially all information about the Savar Tannery Estate and its ongoing development works.
The industry earned US$ 980.67 million last fiscal year (FY) by exporting leather and leather products, up 28.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
In the first eight months of this FY, the export of leather and leather products and footwear rose by 39.46 per cent to $ 847.68 million, it said.
The leather sector has "immense potential" to increase its export earnings, Mr Taher said, adding that the country can earn around $ 10 billion within the next five years from the sector if necessary policy support is provided.
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder, Tannery Estate Project Director Anisul Haq Bhuiyan and tannery industry leaders will be present at today's programme.
The programme would also review the development of relocation of the tannery units from city's Hazaribagh to Savar.
The government has already given the final approval of setting up the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), which has been an apple of discord for a long time between the authorities concerned and the tanners.
Some 127 tanneries submitted their building design plans to the estate authority. Tanners promised the government that they would start relocation of the units from this month (April).
The tanners and the government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October last to ensure relocation of Hazaribagh tanneries to Savar Tannery Estate.
According to the MoU, the government has decided to provide Tk 2.5 billion as compensation to the tanners for relocation as well as give Tk 6.63 billion or 80 per cent of the total project cost.
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