Speakers on Thursday stressed the need for creating adequate number of mid-level managerial executives for local ready-made garment (RMG) sector to stop outflow of a significant amount of the country’s hard-earned remittance, now spent for hiring foreigners.According to them, around 0.2 million mid-level foreign experts and executives are working in local RMG sector, taking away nearly one-third of the country’s total US$ 15 billon inward remittance annually.These observations came at a certificate awarding ceremony of Skill for Employment Investment Program (SEIP), organised by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at its office in the city.The training was funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and supervised by Ministry of Finance (MoF).MoF Additional Secretary Jalal Ahmed handed over certificates as the chief guest among the trainees, who have recently completed the management training programme.Among others, BGMEA President Md. Siddiqur Rahman and Vice-Chairman (finance) Mohammed Nasir, and Bangladesh University of Fashion Technology (BUFT) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nizamuddin were present at the programme.In the programme a total of 200 university graduates received certificates for completing their trainings in various fields of RMG sector, such as – production, quality control, security, textile and compliances.ADB financed Tk 520 million for SEIP in three years, through which a total of 43,800 skilled personnel have been prepared for knitwear industry.Speaking on the occasion, the MoF additional secretary said, “We have educated our people, now it is high time to train up these educated people with industrial need-based managerial trainings.”He hoped this training programme would help to create more mid-level managers that will meet the demand of experts and managers at various RMG units.He also mentioned that the government has taken an initiative with the country’s top universities to train around 2,000 graduates as managers for different growing sectors, like RMG.The BGMEA president urged the government to make a separate energy policy for development of RMG sector.
