Ready Made Garments
Garment makers open liaison offices in HK
Many Bangladeshi garment entrepreneurs are opening their liaison offices in Hong Kong to ensure easy and quick services in businesses, said the industry insiders.
The RMG sector entrepreneurs are getting interested to open new offices in Hong Kong also for geographical proximity with China, the largest apparel supplier worldwide, said a businessman. Bangladesh is largely dependent on Chinese fabrics for making the exportable garment items.
The Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have come to understand that Hong Kong is a hub or platform where the western buyers, Chinese fabric manufacturers and Bangladeshi RMG exporters meet conveniently, the businessman added.
Moreover, representative of many internationally renowned apparel brands prefer to stay either in Hong Kong or Singapore to execute business deals rather than flying down to Dhaka, said an entrepreneur requesting anonymity.
The business facilities are better in Hong Kong than Dhaka. As a result many Bangladeshi entrepreneurs now like to open a liaison office there, he said.
“As a sourcing country, the garment business for Bangladesh is closely related with three important elements — products, delivery and comfort level,” he said. The buyers can easily avail all the required services from Hong Kong, he added.
The Hong Kong offices are mainly operated by either Bangladeshi born citizens living in Hong Kong or by Chinese people as they know the language and have experience of maturing business deals, he added.
Having foreign offices of any local company strengthens the supply chain management for smooth running of business, said another garment exporter.
Majority of the offices are opened under joint venture initiatives to avoid hassles of seeking and getting the government permissions, the exporter added.
Payment to officials and employees is borne by the partners, as Bangladesh government does not allow expatriation of foreign currency beyond a certain amount.
At least 20 offices of various Bangladeshi garment manufacturers have already been opened in Hong Kong for facilitating services in businesses, he said.
Migration is a problem in Hong Kong, said a Bangladeshi garment manufacturer who has recently closed his office there.
“I appointed some Bangladesh-born nationals living in Hong Kong, but after a few years they opened their own offices and I faced acute shortage of skilled manpower. Due to some more associated problems I closed the office eventually,” he said.
Asked, Ahmed Jamal, general manager for the foreign currency policy department of Bangladesh Bank, said the entrepreneurs can open their offices in a foreign land and they can take $10,000 out for expenses annually.
“We have conferred a general authorisation to both the public and private commercial banks for allowing the amount to be spent for offices,” Jamal added.
Bangladesh Bank allowed the amount for the expansion of their businesses in foreign land, he said.
If they need more than the amount, they need to take permission from the central bank, he said adding so far the central bank did not receive any such application from the entrepreneurs.
-With The Daily Star input
