Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu today underscored the need for making skilled manpower to sustain the development of Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector of the country, reports BSS. “Now, the country needs about 38,000 technically skilled and about 33,000 manpower skilled in marketing in RMG sector,” the minister said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the three-day apparel exposition arranged by the country’s fashion designer in the city’s National Museum auditorium. Amu said the initiatives of creating skilled and trained manpower should be accelerated as the government has set a target under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to earn US$50 billion from RMG sector by the year 2021. He also stressed on creating skilled manpower in various sectors like fashion designing, textile, quality control, production and competency to reduce dependence on foreign manpower. “If we can create skilled manpower in the country, we can replace foreign manpower by local manpower,” he added. Mentioning the government initiative of establishing BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology (BIFT), he said the present government is working relentlessly to create skilled manpower for RMG sector. Amu said Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Foundation is playing a vital role to develop apparel sector of the country as well as all other SME industries. “SME Foundation provides all sorts of assistance to the apparel entrepreneurs like training, marketing and financing,” he added. At least 41 entrepreneurs are participating in the exhibition that opens from 10am to 5pm.
