The practice of digital payment of garment workers’ salary, which is becoming popular lately, got a further boost with globally renowned fashion retailer H&M all set to support and encourage textile factories in Bangladesh to switch from cash to digital wage payments.
Reportedly, the retailer is making a commitment that all factories in its supply chain will operate digital payment systems for their employees by 2020.
It may be mentioned here that a staggering 90 per cent of workers involved in the country’s readymade garment sector are expected to receive their wages through the digital payment system by 2021.
This information was shared at the ‘Bangladesh Digital Wages Summit’, organised by the Access to Information (a2i) Program of the ICT Division and supported by the Cabinet Division, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance, at a Dhaka hotel recently.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun attended the opening panel discussion on ‘Scaling digital wages for employees and manufacturers’at the summit.
The summit was also attended by the State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Ahmed Jamal, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Dr. Rubana Huq, UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee, International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director and UN Representative Tuomo Poutiainen and the Bangladesh Country Manager for Marks and Spencer Shwapna Bhowmick.
