Plastics industry growth hampered due to skilled manpower shortage

The growth of country's plastics industry is being hampered due to shortage of skilled manpower and technical support services.

Plastic sector is growing at a phenomenal rate contributing more than US$2.0 billion to the economy including $320 million in exports annually.

The industry is now finding it very difficult to sustain this growth because of acute skilled manpower shortage affecting production, industry insiders said.

Besides production disruption, accidents are happening now and then due to lack of trained workers. Production testing has also to be done in Thailand, Singapore or Western countries, they said.

"We need to set up a plastic training institute on an urgent basis for addressing the gap of skilled manpower and trained workers for the sector, sources said.

Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) has applied to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to help set up a Bangladesh Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology Centre (BIPET).

The construction cost for building the proposed BIPET has been estimated at Tk270 million and some Tk11.4 million will be needed to operate the institute annually which will be met through course fees, services, subscriptions and donations, sources concerned said.    

If we set up BIPET, over 1000 persons will be trained here each year which will help the industry grow. For this, the government should take a move in this connection, a BPGMEA member said.

The BIPET can address the gap of skilled manpower crisis, conduct mould designing and assist in bringing innovation, he said.

The plastics industry in Bangladesh witnessed a notable development in the early 1980s. During the period 1990-2010 there was a remarkable increase in plastic goods production in the country with an average annual growth rate of 20 per cent.

Most of the household plastic products and packaging materials that are used in Bangladesh are manufactured locally. There is also direct export of plastic goods and indirect export as RMG accessories of about Tk 25 billion per year.