Plastic goods manufacturers and exporters sought necessary policy support from the government to help the sector face the possible adverse impact of the mandatory Jute Packaging Act-2010 implementation.
"We are not against the jute sector and there is no conflict between the two sectors," President of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) Md Jashim Uddin said while speaking at a meeting in the city Wednesday.
But the plastic sector of the country must not be ignored as it had immense potentiality, he said, adding the government should provide policy support to protect it from the adverse impact of implementation of the law.
The Act makes it mandatory to use jute for packaging rice, paddy, wheat, maize, sugar and fertiliser, he said, adding there are provisions for penalty or imprisonment in the event of violation of the Act.
The plastic packaging sector, especially the PP woven bag sector, was facing serious problems following the implementation of the Act, as many entrepreneurs invested their money in the sector in view of the demand for plastic woven bags, he said.
About 60 such factories providing employment for about 50,000 workers were now under threat, he noted.
The government should not allow any new plastic woven bag factory if it failed to protect the existing ones, he recommended.
He also raised a question about the cost effectiveness of the mandatory jute packaging.
The manufacturing of a 50 kg plastic bag costs Tk 12 to 13 while the same bag made of jute costs Tk 80.
"The Act will ruin the supply chain and also raise the products' prices," Mr Jashim continued.
He alleged that the government formulated the Act without consulting all the stakeholders.
He claimed that the jute sector did not have the capacity to supply enough jute required for packaging various kinds of products.
The BPGMEA president also demanded a comprehensive packaging Act with prior consultation with all stakeholders.
Polythene shopping bags and plastic packaging were not same, he said.
He also advised the authorities concerned to identify those manufacturing polythene shopping bags and stop wholesale harassment by different law enforcing agencies.
