Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Bangladesh is optimistic about retention of the GSP benefit in the US market as it is gradually making improvement in the field of required compliances and workers’ rights in the garment factories, Commerce Minister GM Quader said in Dhaka on Tuesday.
“We’re hopeful that we will be able to convince the USTR,” he said adding Bangladesh had already submitted its opinions on the generalised system of preferences (GSP) facility to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and hopefully the US would consider it positively.
The minister was speaking at an award giving ceremony of 25 garment factories jointly organized by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and South Asia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF) which is managed by International Finance Corporation (IFC) held in the city.
All 25 factories were part of BGMEA and SEDF's two year long environmental compliance programme which assessed a total of 250 factories for environmental compliance standards in Bangladesh, the organizers said.
25 BGMEA member factories namely Apex Spinning & Knitting Mills Limited, Apparel Gallery Limited, Arrival Fashion Limited, Cosmopolitan Industries (Pvt.) Limited, Dird Composite Textiles Limited, Fakir Knitwears Limited, Interstoff Apparels Limited, Knit Concern Limited, Meghna Knit Composite Limited, Millennium Sweater Limited, Mozart Knit Limited, Northern Corporation Limited, Oeko Tex Limited, SQ Celsius Limited, Viyellatex Limited, Sikder Classic Dyeing & Knitting (Pvt.) Limited, Islam Garments Limited, Tusuka Processing Limited, Robintex (Bangladesh) Limited, Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Limited, Divine Textile Limited, GMS Composite Knitting Industries Limited, Hams Washing & Dyeing Limited, Square Knit Fabrics Limited and Sterling Laundry Limited were awarded for maintaining high standards of environmental compliance.
BGMEA President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, its vice president Faruque Hassan, National Board of Revenue chairman Md Ghulam Hussain, IFC-SEDF country manager Kyle Kelhofer and Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Netherlands to Bangladesh Carel Richter, among others, spoke at the event.
BGMEA will continue to monitor and assist their factories issues of environmental compliance through their Environmental Cell which was, inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2011.
"Trade and business cannot sustain without a healthy environment and community. This award is meant to encourage our factories to remain competitive while ensuring sustainability,” BGMEA president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddm said.
Kyle Kelhofer, country manager of IFC, said: "For the continued economic growth of Bangladesh, it is vital that the sustainability of the textile sector is ensured. The successful execution of projects like this will allow the sector to gain a competitive edge in the global market.”
Faruque Hassan, vice president of the BGMEA in his remark said: "Resource efficiency and environmental compliance are essential for the industry to remain competitive while ensuring sustainability."
Mrinal Sircar, Program Manager, SEDF, said: "Resource efficiency and environmental compliance is not only important for the washing dyeing industry but for all the industries."
BBN/SSR/AD-19Feb13-9:40 pm (BST)