The Netherlands has extended its support for ensuring a ‘fair and true’ price for Bangladeshi readymade garments as Bangladesh has made a significant progress in transforming the sector that involves huge costs, reports UNB. “This is of course a very sensitive discussion… but I do think we have to sit together to try and come up with a decision,” visiting Dutch Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Lilianne Ploumen told a press conference while responding to a question from the news agency. She mentioned that if there is fare wage there has to be a fair price too and hoped that in the next year, working together with everyone, they can come up with some guidance identifying the composition of product price and the price at consumers’ end. The Dutch minister said it is not only the responsibility of the government to improve working conditions but the responsibility of the buyers, retailers consumers too. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed who also attended the joint press conference said the Accord and Alliance have no right to interfere in Bangladesh internal matters other than carrying out inspections. “In the name of social audit, they’ve no right to create unnecessary obstacles and interfere in our internal issues. We discussed it and their representatives were present,” Tofail said. He also said the government has already prepared rules for the amended labour law and those will be implemented by July. Earlier in her opening remark, the Dutch minister said since 2013 many challenges in the RMG sector have been tackled and some are need to be addressed in the coming days. She emphasised the need for speedy completion of the process towards adoption of the implementing rules of the Bangladesh Labour Act. Both the ministers underscored that fair pricing should also reflect among other cost of fire, structural and electrical safety and reasonable working hours in order to avoid workers having to pay the ultimate price through poor working conditions. Earlier, the stakeholders, including BGMEA, BKMEA, trade unions and ministers and development partners, held a discussion on the sector. The meeting reaffirmed the collective determination to continue to work together in improving the condition of Bangladeshi workers in the RMG industry
