The Sammilito Parishad, a panel taking part in the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) biennial polls, released their election manifesto on Sunday, promising to create a smart garment sector if elected in the polls that are set to take place in Chattogram and Dhaka on 9th March.
Md Siddiqur Rahman, chief election coordinator of the Sammilito Parishad for the 2024-26 tenure, announced the manifesto at a press conference held at the Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
Rahman, a former president of the BGMEA as well, presented the 35 panellists from the Parishad at the function. In addition to pursuing GSP Plus status in the European Union, the panel will seek to maintain the duty benefit to key markets even after the country leaves the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by 2026 and becomes a developing nation.
Additionally, the Parishad committed to supporting the expansion of small and medium-sized apparel manufacturers to promote a sustainable garment industry. The panel will also seek to lower bank interest rates to zero and create a special dollar exchange rate for clothing exporters. They committed to generating opportunities by facilitating financial access and cultivating competent human capital.
They will also work to simplify the complexities to introduce a new Harmonised System (HS) code for product diversification and to ease the business of garments both in export and import of raw materials.
The panel leader also committed to working with the Government to introduce a special incentive for inspiring garment entrepreneurs to use non-cotton fibre in garment making aiming to diversify the export products in the garment segment.
They will engage in Government lobbying to secure duty-free importation of solar panels and associated equipment to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources and lower carbon emissions. The panel leader added that to modernise the participating clothing factories, the group will also strive towards innovation and design development.
They’ll work on expanding into new markets and diversifying their product and market offerings.
The manifesto also said they will create a circular fashion guideline and green garment fashion industry if they are elected.
They also committed to skill development for mid-level officials, introducing cash incentives and policy supports for the backward linkage industries like long-term tax holidays for the man-made fibre and recycled fibre industry.
They will also work for a unified code of conduct for maintaining social, labour and safety compliance audits, the manifesto also said.
They committed to work to stop the harassment on obtaining certification from the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), especially reducing the procrastination in obtaining certification from the RSC, the building design approval and establishing transparency in the implementation of the corrective action plan in the garment sector.
SM Mannan (Kochi), the panel leader of the Sammilito Parishad, called for working together in the global crisis period so the sector can become sustainable. This is why he inducted young and fresh blood in his panel along with many experienced leaders, he said.
