Clips from the Press


Call for joint efforts to face post-MFA crisis in RMG sector

The Bangladesh Today
March 19, 2004
 Staff Correspondent

  

 Back to Clip Index

Bangladesh is ready to face the quota .free post Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) situation, if a collective effort by the public, private, and other agencies is made to improve the RMG sector for meeting the global demand. Experts made this observation at a dialogue on `Surviving in a Quota-free World: Will Bangladesh Make It?' held at a city hotel. Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA and Citibank, NA jointly organised the dialogue. Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, US Ambassador in Bangladesh Thomas Harry K Junior, Commerce Secretary Sohel Ahmed, BGMEA president Annisul Huq, Citibank chief executive Mamunur Rashid and CPD research director Mustafizur Rahman took part in the discussion. Besides, experts from different professions also spoke. They said with the MFA phase-out US market for apparels is going to be expanded dramatically when uncompetitive US firms will be compelled to make their exit. There will be enormous opportunities for competitive players to make new avenues in the US market, they maintained. Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud said the government has taken steps to create bank and port facilities for the production and export of quality RMG items. He said, `policy support is not a problem but we are taking the issue seriously and trying our best to overcome the situation'. Meanwhile, the government has reduced interest rate and provided more facilities to use port for export purpose, he mentioned. "We are trying how to reduce the duty when our products will get access to the global market. The government has taken initiative to provide technological support to the entrepreneurs," the commerce minister said further. Replying to a question, Amir Khasru Mahmud said the employees and workers will not lose their job as different mega and medium sized industries are now on a frantic effort to expand those. US Ambassador Thomas Harry K Junior said Bangladesh will have to utilise its full capacity to face the post-MFA situation. He also suggested infrastructural development of air and land ports for running the export business smoothly. Corruption must be uprooted from the society to implement various development projects, he opined.