Compliance must be ensured to sustain competitiveness: Commerce Minister

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at an event of the ‘Skills for Self-Monitoring and Compliance with Clean and Fair Production in the Textile and Garment Industry’ (SCAIP) project at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday. The Ministry of Commerce and SCAIP jointly organized the event; the ‘Sustainability in Textile and Leather Industry’ (STILE II) project was a partner.

The commerce minister said, ‘The results achieved so far are only our foundation, not the final destination. To build a compliant and competitive textile sector, we must move further, standing on this foundation together with entrepreneurs, workers and partners.’

He said more than 80 percent of the country's total export earnings come from the textile and garment sector. This sector creates employment for millions of people, especially women, and plays an important role in the country's industrial economy. International buyers and regulatory bodies now expect a safe working environment, fair labor practices, responsible use of resources and transparency in the supply chain. In particular, factories must build capacity in line with the new policies and regulations of the European Union (EU). Compliance must be considered an integral part of trade strategy.

Highlighting the government's initiatives to ensure a business-friendly environment, he said the government is working to set policy priorities, simplify processes, reduce logistics costs and expedite licensing, compliance and port-related approvals. He also said that taking advantage of the extended time until 2029 that Bangladesh has received to prepare for LDC graduation, the industrial sector must be prepared to retain the existing benefits in the international market and meet new standards.

Under the SCAIP project, emphasis is placed on strengthening self-monitoring systems in factories to ensure efficient use of water, energy and chemicals. This will reduce environmental pollution as well as save production and operational costs. The SCAIP and STILE II projects are being implemented through the German development agency GIZ with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The SCAIP project's patron is the Ministry of Commerce and its implementing partner is the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Rüdiger Lotz, GIZ Country Director Mark Gombert, senior officials of various ministries, leaders of RSC, BGMEA and BKMEA, and representatives of workers' organizations, international buyer brands and development partner organizations were present at the event.