A law was passed long ago making use of jute bags compulsory. It was also amended later. The government has recently taken a firm decision to implement the law. It has banned export of raw jute. Use of jute bags for paddy, rice, wheat, maize, fertiliser and sugar have been made binding. Licenses of those who are not following the government instructions will be cancelled. They will also not be given bank loans. Mobile courts have been activated from November 30. Publicity campaigns have been geared up. Businessmen and entrepreneurs have been alarmed because of the government's decisions.
The law was passed in 2010 to compel businessmen to use jute bags. This law was partly amended in 2013. But its implementation did not proceed due to various reasons. A number of ministries recently held consultations to decide the course of action for effective implementation of the law.
The government has taken a number of decisions in this regard. The decisions include ban on production of plastic bags for packaging of the selected items, imposition of a condition for using jute bags for rice and husking mills at the time of giving licence and mandatory use of jute bags by producers and suppliers of six items at the time of giving bank loans and so on.
Several ministries will work together for making the campaign successful. The ministry of commerce has informed that licences of the organisations under their control will be cancelled if they do not use jute bags for packaging of their products. Letters of credit of those who will import and export six products but will not use jute bags will be cancelled. Plastic product manufacturers will have to give an undertaking to the department of environment that they will not produce plastic bags. Instructions have been issued to rice mill owners and aratdars (stockists) under the ministry of food in this regard. The ministry of shipping will provide assistance for implementation of the law in respect of river and land ports and ferry ghats while loading and unloading the products. The Bangladesh Bank has issued a circular that businessmen dealing with the six products will not be given loans unless they use jute bags for packaging.
It has been ascertained from businessmen that they spend Tk18/22 for buying a plastic bag. Private sector entrepreneurs offer jute bags at Tk 50 per unit. But they will have to pay Tk 70 per bag if they procure this from the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). This will increase cost for the users. As a result, prices of the six products will increase and the burden will fall on the consumers.
The state minister for textiles and jute has said the government has taken the initiative in the interest of public health for using jute bags as well as for stopping the use of plastic bags which is not environment-friendly. All public sector jute mills are now busy in producing jute bags. Price of such bags has been reduced by 10 per cent.
This year alone 500 million bags will be needed. But the 22 public sector mills have the capacity to produce 250 million bags. These jute mills are producing 5,00,000 bags per day, If the jute bags are successfully used for six products, more products may be brought under the scheme gradually.
Jute ministry officials are facing obstacles in implementing the Mandatory Packaging Act. Sixty-two mobile courts are in operation throughout the country. But the six products are still found in plastic bags in many shops. These are also found in godowns and showcases. Doubts have been expressed about the effectiveness of the campaign.
Hartals are being observed in many places for stopping the mobile courts in case of jute packaging for fertiliser transport. The agriculture minister has written a letter to the jute minister for relaxing the use of jute bags for fertiliser. But the jute minister has said that the Jute Packaging Act will be implemented at any cost.
The government has now put a ban on export of raw jute for an indefinite period with a view to ensuring adequate supply of the fibre to local mills for making bags for packaging. The decision has been taken in the wake of the shortage of jute bags. Most of the rice millers, businessmen and traders did not use jute bags for packaging essential commodities like paddy, rice, wheat, maize, fertiliser and sugar on the plea of high prices and non-availability of jute bags.
According to the department of jute, a total of 724 cases were filed by 329 mobile courts between November 30 and December 01 and Tk 3.39 million was realised as fines during the period. The millers were in trouble as the government was conducting the drive without ensuring supply of adequate jute bags. The government should immediately appoint agents in all districts for smooth supply of jute bags as the private jute mills are not supplying jute bags at all.
The writer is an economist and columnist.
jamaluddinsyed23@yahoo.com.au
Mandatory use of jute bags—making the law effective
Syed Jamaluddin | Published: December 08, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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