Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - Knitwear manufacturers have demanded disbursement of cash incentive before the Eid-ul-Azha so that they can pay all arrears to the workers.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) in a letter Thursday requested the finance ministry to take steps to release the cash support before the festival.
Hailing the government's initiative of releasing the first installment of the budgetary cash allocation worth BDT 5.12 billion before Eid-ul-Fitr, the association said this timely disbursement helped the exporters to avert labour unrest.
"There is possibility of labour unrest in the knit sector this time if the exporters do not get the cash incentive timely," Md Hatem, acting president of BKMEA said.
Eid and Puja holidays are expected to start from October 24 and there would be no working day after October 23, he explained.
The association requested the finance ministry to release the cash incentive immediately so that exporters can get the support and pay the workers' wages and other arrears.
Earlier on July 8, the government released the first installment of cash incentive worth BDT 6.0 billion to country's major export earning sectors on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The government allocated BDT 20.5 billion for 15 export sectors and BDT 3.5 billion for jute and jute goods for promotion of the sector for the current fiscal year. In the last fiscal year, cash incentive was BDT 23 billion.
BBN/SSR/AD-12Oct12-2:10 pm (BST)
