Sweater industry is doing well. Total 730 industries are in operation now. The industry fetched $2.83 billion foreign currency in the fiscal 2014-15, out of total apparel export of $31 billion, meaning the sub-sector shares 9 percent of total RMG exports. The sweater industry has aimed at reaching $8.0 billion export milestone in the year 2020 to fulfill the target of fetching $50 billion from ready-made garment sector. But the industry people alone cannot make the dream come true. The nation as a whole should act together in meeting this target. Especially, the government should shoulder the leading role in taking the sector ahead through adopting a sustained policy and providing necessary logistic supports including infrastructure and utilities. Md Moshiul Azam Sajal, Chief executive of Sweater Makers said this in an interview with daily sun. The industry suffers various constraints including policy shift, non-availability of utilities like power, gas and poor infrastructure, as well as high bank interest rates. A sustainable policy is essential for a period of at least 5 to 7 years, he said. The authorities concerned always make a major mistake, and that is they never involve stakeholders in negotiations while formulating any policy and as a result, the ultimate needs of the industries are often ignored. “Implementation of a policy related to any sector will yield better results only when it is formulated in consultation with the industry people,” said Sajal, also Managing Director of a number of apparel units including Fame Knitwears Ltd, Fashion Exposure Ltd, Fame Sweaters Ltd, Spectra Sweaters Ltd, Posmi Sweaters Ltd, Sweater Makers Ltd. Drawn attention about various government move to increase supply of gas through exploration of fossil fuel, he said since the industries are not getting supply, we are yet to see any visible improvement. The government wants factories to relocate outside Dhaka but the authority cannot provide gas there, he said adding, “If an entrepreneur relocates industry in a new location, then the authority should allow transfer of his or her existing gas connection to the new factory site.” “We see substantial improvement in power supply,” attributed the entrepreneur adding, “The government as a facilitator should supply fuel at affordable rates.” The first thing the government needs to do is fixing its target by setting priority, he suggested. The sweater sector employs 668,000 people at present and it has potentials to increase employment in the near future, said Sajal adding, “We do not find skilled workers for recruiting. After recruitment, we train them. RMG is the only sector that builds up its workforce by its own and training takes a worker in a very high position.” “A major achievement that the country’s apparel sector has made is that it has been able to create a large number of fashion designers through BGMEA institute of fashion. The fashion graduates join factories at very high salary packages. We do not need to depend on foreign designers now,” he said. To meet the need for expertise in the local industries, the government should initiate knowledge-based education in the country by updating the curriculum and also by opening sector related departments in the universities, he added. Market diversification is an important issue for boosting country’s export and considering this the apparel makers are relentlessly working to explore new destinations. Japan, South Korea, South American countries, South Africa, Russia, especially CIS states, China are the major destinations where Bangladesh RMG has high potentials. China is a market for $100 billion for apparel products and Bangladesh can penetrate that market, Sajal said. Bangladesh is gradually expanding its market in Japan, as its RMG export to that market has moved higher to $400 million now from $50 million in 2010. Compliance is a very important factor. Bangladesh’s apparel sector is fully compliant. The standards of the RMG factories in Bangladesh is the highest in the world in terms of their number, said the confident young entrepreneur. “If the conditions of Accord and Alliance could be incorporated, then the sector could have forwarded to great extent,” he further said adding, “It is not so easy for all investors to implement the conditions as the process is very expensive.” “We hear much about financial support but no assistance has yet been provided.”
