Bangladesh readymade garment sector should take the EU threat seriously as scrapping of GSP by the 27-nation bloc could put a severe impact on the sector,
\neconomists and exporters told New Age on Thursday.
\nCentre for Policy Dialogue executive director Mutafizur Rahman said, \u2018Obviously it is a warning for Bangladesh. After the Tazreen fire the EU wanted to work with us (in ensuring workplace safety); but this time it moved one step forward and gave the warning.\u2019
\n\u2018The warning came as we did not implement all commitments made earlier,\u2019 Mustafiz said. \u2018What we are saying that building code, fire safety and workers\u2019 right must be implemented properly and inform the EU.\u2019
\nHe said, \u2018If we could implement the commitments within the time limit, the EU would not hopefully cancel the GSP facilities for Bangladesh.\u2019
\nThe EU is also facing sharp criticism on the home markets for doing too little to safeguard the workers making their clothes, Mustafiz said.
\nThe European Union expressed deep concern over labour conditions in Bangladesh after the collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building which housed five garment factories, at Savar and said it was considering action to encourage improvements, including the use of its trade preference system.
\nThe EU is Bangladesh\u2019s largest trade partner and clothes made inside the building \u2014 an illegally built structure that collapsed on April 24, killing more than 400 people \u2014 were being produced for retailers in Europe and Canada.
\nThe EU is presently considering appropriate action, including suspension of the Generalised System of Preferences, said a statement, issued on Tuesday by EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton and trade commissioner Karel de Gucht.
\n\u2018It\u2019s a real threat for the garment sector and the BGMEA and BKMEA should be very careful,\u2019 Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies senior research fellow Nazneen Ahmed told New Age on Thursday.
\n\u2018Earlier, I had said that the foreign buyers could impose tougher conditions and the GSP issue and other conditions would be in a tight spot again as we have a number of active competitors\u2019, she said.
\nNazneen also hoped that the EU would not cancel the GSP facilities but the sector people needed to take proper initiatives to comply with the building code, fire safety and workers\u2019 rights.
\nSuggesting the BGMEA and BKMEA she said that the sector needed to take initiatives to make all the factories compliant and highlight the activities of the factories which were maintaining international standard.
\nThe government assistance is also needed for the small and medium entrepreneurs who have been failing to make their factories complaint, she observed.
\nThe exporters said that they were taking the observation of the EU seriously as the European markets were the major destination of the Bangladeshi garments.
\nFormer BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy said, \u2018We are considering the EU concerns with utmost importance and taking necessary steps.\u2019
\nMurshedy also said they would sit with the EU officials next week in Dhaka and convey to them the steps already taken by the BGMEA.
\nFormer BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez said the EU was very much worried over the compliance issues.
\n\u2018We have to prepare a time-bound action plan and government have to inform the EU what we are going to do about the safety issue\u2019 he said.
\nIf the EU withdrew its trade facilities for Bangladesh, the local garment sector would fall in a deep crisis as 59 per cent of the total export goes to the EU markets, he said.
\n\u2018We are taking seriously the concern of EU and both the government and BGMEA have to fulfil their commitments over the building code, fire safety and workers rights\u2019, Parvez said.<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/span> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bangladesh readymade garment sector should take the EU threat seriously as scrapping of GSP by the 27-nation bloc could put a severe impact on the sector, economists and exporters told New Age on Thursday. Centre for Policy Dialogue executive director<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10498,10497,10111],"yoast_head":"\n