Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu called upon accessories manufacturing companies to establish green industry to reach the $ 20 billion export goal by the year 2020. ‘The government will extend due policy support to backward linkage industries so that the sector can be flourished with robust growth. Entrepreneurs should pay heed to green industrial expansion of the sector,’ Amu said. The minister was addressing at the four-day sixth International Garment Accessories and Packaging Exposition (GAPEXPO) 2015 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital on Wednesday. Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA), ASK Trade International Pvt Ltd, India and Zakaria Trade and Fair International arranged the exposition. Amu said the accessories and packaging sector, where two lakh workers work, has enjoyed 13 percent growth in export. As a result, the sector should get utmost priority, Amu said informing that the sector has more than 40 percent value addition. Jute and Textile Minister Md Emaz Uddin Ahmad, State Minister for Finance MA Mannan, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank SK Sur, Vice-President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shahidulla Azim, Director of ASK Trade International Pvt Ltd Nanda Gopal spoke at the programme. President of BGAPMEA Rafez Alam Chowdhury chaired the function. In his speech, Rafez Alam said accessories and packaging sector has undertaken a target of earning foreign exchanges of $12 billion by the year 2018 and $25 billion by the year 2020 while it needs policy support from the government. Explaining the situation of the sector, Rafez said though readymade garment sector enjoys cash incentives on export, but as a supporting sector of the garment industry, the accessories and packaging sector has no such facilities. He also sketched the high bank interest rate and said that it is hampering in fetching fresh investment. Addressing the programme, MA Mannan said the government will provide all necessary and logical policy support to the sector.
