EPB director general Salahuddin Mahmud here today said that Bangladesh is facing an uneven competition in export of goods to the US paying higher rate of duty in the RMG sector.
"Some developed countries and our neighbouring developing countries are exporting goods at nominal duty while we have to pay much more, say about 15%, which is why the readymade garment sector is facing problem," he said.
Mahmud said the government is trying its best to reduce the duty rates and get the GSP (generalized system of preference) from the US, one of our major export destinations.
He was speaking as chief guest at a seminar on Compliance in the Export Sector held at Chittagong regional office of Export Promotion Bureau today. The seminar was presided over by Abdul Moin, director of EPB, Chittagong region.
Mohammed Hatem, second vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, presented the keynote paper.
EPB DG Mahmud said the government has attached highest importance on the export of Bangladeshi products and undertaken massive encouragement schemes including training for people at the grass root level.
"The EPB organized orientation programmes and workshops at the district level in the past. Such schemes are now being extended to the upazila level so that the people in the villages become more conscious about it," he said.
The export target this fiscal has been set at US$ 26.5 billion, 78 per cent of which comes from the export of readymade garments, he informed.
In his power point presentation BKMEA leader Mr Hatem said the RMG industry has made envious growth over the last few years and becomes the backbone of our national economy.
"Within the RMG sector knitwear is the leading sub-sector both in export quality and growth rate and we feel proud that knitwear sector holds the second largest exporters' position in the world market," he said.
Regarding the compliance issues of employment and working conditions and health safety at occupational areas the national labour law and ILO conventions are being ratified by the government, he added.
