The Cabinet on Monday cleared a draft of ‘The Textile Act, 2017’ in principle aiming at bringing the textile industries under a legal framework.Under the provisions of the new law, all textile industries like garment factories, production and marketing industries of textiles and buying houses must be registered with theDirectorate of Textiles (DoT) after passing of the law in Parliament.The approval was given at the regular meeting of the Cabinet held on Monday at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told journalists at a briefing that the draft law was prepared to bring the textile industries under a legal framework as industries are running under administrative orders of the government.All industries related to textiles like garment factories, production and marketing industries of textiles must be registered with the Directorate of Textiles. The directorate will look after, supervise and monitor textile industries, he said.The Cabinet Secretary said the purpose of the Textile Act is to take back the textiles factories which were privatised or sold under the privatisation policy of the government in case of violation of the condition of the sales agreement.The authorities concerned will have the authority to take back those factories, which are not functioning as per the agreements of sales. The authorities have been given the right to take back the factories from the buyers who have violated the conditions, he added.Under the law, the entrepreneurs of such units will need to take licences from the Directorate of Textile for establishment of textile or garment industries in future. The factories, which are already functioning, will also need to procure licences, he further added.Concerned authorised officers will have the power to collect sample from market and verify the standard of any product or imported textile materials including colour and chemical.
